IRLF 


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s 

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Mrs.  Rebecca  Johnson 


HOW  TO 


HATCH,    BROOD,    FEED   AND 


PREVENT  CHICKS 


FROM 


DYING  IN  iss  SHELL 


BY 

MRS.  REBECCA  JOHNSON 

V  I 

MAXWELL,  IOWA 


[REVISED  SECOND  EDITION] 


THE  L,.  R.  SHEPHERD  PUBLISHING  Co. 

MAXWELL,  IOWA 

1906 


COPYRIGHTED  1905 
COPYRIGHTED  1906 

BY 

MRS.  REBECCA  JOHNSON 

MAXWELL,  IOWA 


INTRODUCTORY 

O  THE  READER:  I  will  tell  you  how  I  came  to  write  this 
book.  In  the  year  1882  I  took  up  poultry  raising  as  a  money 
making  proposition,  believing  there  was  more  money  to  be 
made  for  the  capital  invested  than  in  any  other  line  of  busi- 
ness and  am  still  of  the  same  belief,  but  I  became  dissatisfied 
with  the  slow  way  of  raising  chickens  with  hens.  I  had  read  that  chicks 
could  be  hatched  by  artificial  incubation,  but  I  had  never  seen  an  incu- 
bator, and  knew  nothing  of  the  natural  laws  of  incubation,  but  if  one 
wants  to  learn  they  must  investigate,  so  I  went  to  work.  I  placed  a  ther- 
mometer under  a  setting  hen  every  day  for  three  weeks  and  found  first  the 
temperature  at  which  she  kept  her  eggs  each  day  during  the  whole  hatch. 
The  hen  from  which  I  was  taking  lessons  I  set  on  the  porch  near  the  win- 
dow, where  I  was  doing  my  spring  sewing.  „  I  watched  her  closely  that  I 
might  know  how  many  times  she  turned  her  eggs  during  the  day.  She 
turned  them  about  every  four  hours.  I  did  the  same  for  a  while,  but  soon 
found  it  was  not  necessary.  After  I  had  found  the  proper  temperature  at 
which  to  keep  the  eggs  during  incubation,  and  also  how  often  to  turn  them, 
I  commenced  the  construction  of  an  incubator.  I  used  two  dry  goods 
boxes,  one  of  which  had  served  me  as  a  wood  box  for  several  years.  One 
box  was  a  little  larger  than  the  other.  I  placed  the  smaller  one  inside  the 
larger,  and  filled  the  space  with  sawdust.  I  thought  it  had  to  be  thick  so 
it  would  retain  the  heat.  That  was  not  a  bad  idea,  either.  I  made  a  hot 
air  space  at  the  top  and  bottom.  I  thought  the  eggs  should  have  heat 
from  above  and  below.  Then  I  put  pipes  through  it  and  heated  it  with 
lamps  just  about  the  same  as  the  modern  hot  air  machines  are  heated  to- 
day. It  was  a  rude  concern  but  it  hatched  chicks  just  the  same.  After 
the  thermometer  registered  102  degrees,  I  placed  the  eggs  in  my  new 
machine  and  kept  the  temperature  at  the  same  point  each  day  for  three  weeks, 
just  the  same  as  the  hen  did,  with  the  result  that  I  hatched  108  chicks 
from  116  eggs.  I  did  not  test  any  out.  I  did  not  know  enough  about  such 
aft'airs  at  that  time.  I  had  six  ventilators  in  the  top  and  six  in  the  bottom. 
After  awhile  I  saw  where  I  could  make  an  improvement  in  my  machine.  I 
went  to  work  and  made  a  new  one,  and  then  another,  and  so  on  until  I  had 
made  nine.  Each  machine  was  an  improvement  over  the  other.  I  made 
my  own  brooder  also.  Here  is  where  goods  boxes  played  an  important  part 
again.  I  put  sheet  iron  in  for  a  floor  and  placed  a  lamp  under  it  to  keep  the 
chicks  warm.  Now  with  my  home-made  incubators  and  brooders  I  have 
raised  as  many  as  twenty-six  hundred  chicks  in  one  year,  and  seldom  less 
than  fifteen  hundred. 

3569oo 


4  IKTKOBfUCTORY 

Well,  my  success  got  into  the  papers.  Sometimes  good  things  were 
printed  as  well  as  bad  things.  Then  I  began  to  receive  letters  of  inquiry  in 
regard  to  operating  an  incubator,  how  and  what  to  feed  brooder  chicks,  and 
everything  pertaining  to  poultry  culture.  The  first  few  years  I  did  not  re- 
ceive so  many  letters,  but  as  the  use  of  incubators  became  more  prevalent, 
there  were  more  inquiries.  I  tried  to  answer  every  one,  for  how  glad  I  would 
have  been  twenty-two  years  ago  to  have  received  a  letter  from  some  one 
who  had  had  twenty-two  years  of  practical  experience,  and  how  it  would 
have  helped  me  through  many  trying  difficulties  and  saved  me  many  dis- 
appointments. At  last  I  received  so  many  letters  that  it  was  impossible  to 
answer  them  all  and  do  my  work  as  it  should  be  done.  One  day  a  friend 
said  to  me,  "Why  not  write  a  book  on  incubation  and  raising  brooder 
chicks,  telling  everything  in  detail,  just  as  you  know  it  from  experience; 
it  would  be  so  helpful  to  new  beginners?"  This  was  the  first  time  I  had 
ever  thought  of  the  matter  in  that  light.  I  wrote  to  several  in  answer  to 
inquiries,  that  I  would  write  a  book  if  I  thought  I  could  sell  enough  copies 
to  justify  me.  Mr.  Payne,  editor  of  the  Nevada  Representative,  published 
one  of  those  letters.  Then  I  began  to  receive  orders  four  months  before  I 
had  commenced  to  write,  so  I  thought  I  would  put  my  experience  to  good 
account.  Hemce  this  book.  Hoping  that  this  little  volume  will  prove  of 
pleasure  and  profit  to  the  reader,  I  remain 

Most  sincerely  yours, 

THE  AUTHOR. 


How  to  Hatch,  Brood,  Feed  and  Pre= 
vent  Chicks  From  Dying  in  the  Shell 


Saving  Eggs  for  Incubation 

'HILE  you  are  saving  eggs  to  fill  the  incubator,  keep  them  in  a 
moderately  cool  place,  not  lower  than  sixty  degrees  tempera- 
ture. They  should  not  be  kept  in  a  room  where  there  is  a  fire, 
unless  the  weather  is  quite  cool,  until  about  eight  or  ten  hours 
before  you  place  them  in  the  incubator.  Then  they  should  be  brought 
into  a  room  that  has  a  fire  in  it,  for  eggs  when  kept  in  a  cool  place  will 
sweat  when  they  come  in  contact  with  the  heat,  and  it  is  better  for  them 
to  go  through  that  sweating  process  out  of  the  incubator  than  in  it,  for  it 
takes  so  much  longer  to  get  the  eggs  to  the  proper  heat  for  incubation  if 
they  are  allowed  to  sweat  in  the  machine.  Do  not  keep  them  in  a  cellar  or 
cave  if  they  are  the  least  bit  damp.  I  find  that  a  bedroom  is  about  the 
best  place  to  keep  them.  Turn  your  eggs  once  a  day  after  the  third  day. 
Be  sure  that  your  hands  are  free  from  grease  while  handling  them.  Put  a 
clean  cloth  or  paper  in  the  basket  or  box  before  placing  the  eggs  in  it. 
You  cannot  be  too  careful  in  this  respect,  for  sometimes  the  least  speck  of 
grease  will  kill  the  germ  of  the  egg.  It  is  best  not  to  keep  your  eggs  in  an 
egg  case  while  saving  to  set.  Eggs  should  not  be  kept  longer  than  two 
weeks,  although  I  have  kept  them  three  weeks,  but  the  best  results  are 
obtained  from  eggs  not  over  a  week  or  ten  days  old.  When  this  is  done  a 
larger  per  cent  will  hatch,  and  there  will  not  be  so  many  crippled  chicks  if 
you  set  fresh  laid  eggs.  You  will  get  more  pullets  from  medium  sized  eggs 
than  you  will  from  very  large  ones.  Very  large  pointed  eggs,  if  they  hatch 
at  all,  produce  almost  invariably  males.  You,  perhaps,  have  noticed  this. 
Leghorn  eggs  hatch  better  than  the  larger  breeds,  such  as  Plymouth  Rock, 
Wyandotte,  Buff  Cochin  or  Brahma.  Leghorn  eggs  have  a  very  thin  shell, 
consequently  they  are  easier  to  pip.  Do  not  save  eggs  from  inbred  fowls 
to  set,  if  you  can  possibly  help  it.  You  must  procure  eggs  from  well-bred, 
healthy  fowls  to  make  success  sure.  Better  pay  a  few  cents  more  per 
dozen  and  start  right.  Chicks  hatched  from  eggs  of  inbred  fowls  are  more 
liable  to  disease  than  those  hatched  from  pure-bred  fowls.  I  have  seen 


6       HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

good  results  from  mongrel  hens  and  good  blooded  cockerels.  But  if  you 
are  going  into  the  business  for  profit  get  a  good  incubator  and  a  good 
brooder,  then  buy  or  exchange  eggs  with  some  one  that  has  good  blooded 
fowls,  and  start  right.  It  will  cost  a  little  more  at  first,  but  will  pay  you 
big  dividends  in  the  end.  If  you  have  eggs  shipped  to  you,  or  if  you  carry 
them  in  a  buggy  any  distance,  they  should  rest  at  least  ten  hours  before 
placing  them  in  the  incubator.  If  you  have  good  blooded  fowls  you  can 
sell  your  eggs  and  cockerels  at  a  good  price,  too,  just  as  well  as  your  neigh- 
bor. Not  only  this,  but  you  will  get  better  returns  for  your  labor,  for  it 
costs  just  as  much  to  raise  poor  fowls  as  it  does  good  ones;  yes  more,  for 
pure  breeds  are  stronger  and  more  likely  to  live. 


Testing  the  Eggs  to  Set 

1  ALWAYS  test  the  eggs  before  I  place  them  in  the  machine,  especially 
if  I  buy  them.  One  then  has  a  chance  to  fill  their  machine  full  of  good 
eggs.  Some  eggs  have  very  thin,  spotted  shells.  The  shell  will  look 
very  thin  in  some  places  and  thick  in  others.  These  you  should  not  set. 
Others  that  look  as  though  they  had  been  set  on  awhile  should  be  dis- 
carded also.  Do  not  set  eggs  that  have  bulged  places  on  them;  they 
almost  invariably  make  cripples,  nor  any  eggs  that  are  too  long  or  too 
round.  Avoid  extremes.  Set  only  medium  sized,  nice,  smooth,  uniform 
eggs,  not  too  large  or  too  small.  The  room  where  you  are  testing  the  eggs 
should  be  dark.  Night  is  the  proper  time  to  test,  but  if  you  want  to 
test  in  the  day  time,  darken  the  windows  with  something  heavy  so  as  not 
to  admit  any  light  whatever  in  the  room. 


Testing  Eggs  for  Fertility 

1TEST  my  eggs  for  fertility  on  the  evening  of  the  seventh  day.  Do  not 
test  in  a  very  cold  room.  If  you  think  they  will  get  too  cold  before 

you  finish  testing,  carry  them  to  a  warmer  room  to  do  the  work. 
Take  out  one  tray  at  a  time  and  close  the  machine,  turn  the  lamp  up  a  lit- 
tle so  the  egg  chamber  will  be  quite  warm,  when  you  return  the  eggs,  and 
it  will  not  take  them  so  long  to  get  back  to  their  proper  temperature. 

Do  not  cool  or  turn  the  eggs  the  evening  you  test  them.  You  can  turn 
each  egg  as  you  place  them  back  in  the  tray  after  you  have  tested  them, 
and  they  will  get  cool  enough  in  the  operation  of  testing.  As  soon  as  you 
finish  testing  the  first  tray  return  it  to  the  machine  at  once,  then  test  the 
other  one.  Very  dark  brown  eggs  are  harder  to  test  than  light  colored 
ones,  consequently  I  test  them  again  on  the  sixteenth  day.  Then  you  can 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  7 

remove  all  that  is  not  fertile.  You  can  keep  a  more  even  temperature  if  all 
the  infertile  eggs  and  those  that  have  dead  chicks  in  are  removed.  Eggs 
that  have  a  live  chick  in  them  are  as  black  as  night  on  the  sixteenth  day. 
Those  that  have  dark  and  light  spots  in  them  are  eggs  that  have  started, 
then  died,  the  death  being  caused  by  too  high  a  temperature  some  time 
during  the  hatch,  or  perhaps  a  weak  germ  that  would  not  have  lived  had 
it  come  to  maturity.  These  eggs  should  all  be  removed.  It  is  more  diffi- 
cult to  keep  the  proper  temperature  in  the  egg  chamber  if  there  are  many 
bad  eggs  in  your  machine.  Do  not  hold  the  eggs  too  close  to  the  lamp  while 
testing,  as  you  will  injure  them.  You  will  find  eggs  which  you  are 
doubtful  about.  These  you  should  mark  and  in  a  few  days  examine  them 
again.  If  you  smell  a  foul  odor  in  your  machine  hunt  till  you  find  the  bad 
eggs.  The  quicker  they  are  removed  the  better,  for  a  spoiled  egg  may 
injure  the  hatch.  Some  Incubator  Companies  will  tell  you  to  test  your 
eggs  three  times.  This  is  unnecessary.  Twice  is  sufficient.  When  I  have 
a  great  deal  to  do  I  sometimes  get  mine  tested  but  once,  but  it  is  better  to 
test  twice.  You  will  get  better  results  if  all  eggs  with  dead  chicks  in  are 
removed. 

Never  add  eggs  at  different  times.  Put  them  all  in  at  once.  If  you 
haven't  enough  to  fill  your  machine  wait  a  few  days,  for  it  will  take  more 
oil  to  hatch  a  few  than  an  incubator  full.  The  more  eggs  you  have  in  the 
machine,  the  more  animal  heat  you  will  have,  consequently  it  will  take 
less  oil.  The  more  fertile  eggs  you  have  in  your  incubator,  the  easier  to 
keep  the  desired  temperature. 


How  to  Start  Your  Incubators 

SET  up  j'our  incubator  according  to  the  directions  you  receive  with  it. 
Place  incubator  in  a  bedroom  or  dry  cellar;  it  should  not  be  in  a 
room  where  there  is  a  fire  unless  the  fire  is  kept  up  all  the  time.      It 
should  be  in  a  room  or  cellar  where  the  thermometer  will  not  register  lower 
than  fifty  degrees,  and  where  the  temperature  can  be  kept  as  even  as  pos- 
sible.   Never  try  to  operate  an   incubator  in  an  out- building  in  freezing 
weather.      It  would  be  all  right  in  summer  time  if  there  was  no  draught 
and  it  could  be  well  ventilated  and  kept  dry,  but  the  better  the  room   is 
adapted  to  this  purpose  the  less  attention  the  incubator  demands  and  the 
better  the  results  will  be. 

If  your  machine  is  a  hot  water  one  it  must  sit  perfectly  level  in  order 
to  get  the  proper  circulation  through  the  heating  pipes.  It  should  not  be 
set  by  guess,  but  you  should  use  a  spirit  level.  Now  put  on  your  regulator 
according  to  directions.  FiJl  your  boiler  or  pipes  with  boiling  water.  It 
would  take  too  long  to  beat  up  the  egg  chambers  if  cold  water  was  used. 


8  HOW  TO  HATCH,   BROOD,   FEED  AND  PREVENT 

Light  the  lamp  and  run  the  machine  until  you  have  perfect  control  of  the 
regulator,  so  that  the  thermometer  will  stand  at  102  degrees  for  several 
hours  before  placing  the  eggs  in  the  incubator.  If  your  machine  is  a  hot 
air  machine  it  doesn't  matter  so  much  about  its  being  level,  but  other  con- 
ditions must  be  the  same  as  a  hot  water  machine.  You  should  use  the 
best  oil  you  can  procure.  If  you  get  cheap  oil  your  wicks  gum  and  the 
burners  will  clog  up  and  ofttimes  an  explosion  will  result.  I  have  lost  my 
entire  hatch  several  times  by  using  poor  oil.  The  lamps  would  blaze  up 
and  my  eggs  get  too  hot  before  I  knew  it  and  the  chicks  would  all  be 
dead  in  the  shell. 


Proper  Temperature  for  Successful  Incubation 

YOUR  thermometer  should  register  102  degrees  for  several  hours  before 
you  place  your  eggs  in  the  incubator.  See  that  your  regulator 
works  perfectly  according  to  the  directions  that  came  with  your  ma- 
chine. I  cannot  tell  you  just  how  it  should  be,  for  there  are  so  many  differ- 
ent kinds,  but  each  machine  has  instructions  which  you  should  go  by  to 
the  letter  in  setting  up  your  machine.  After  placing  the  eggs  in  the  incu- 
bator turn  your  lamp  up  a  little  so  that  it  will  not  take  so  long  to  get  your 
eggs  to  the  proper  temperature  for  incubation.  When  your  thermometer 
registers  102,  if  it  has  a  tendency  to  run  higher,  turn  down  the  blaze  of  your 
lamp  until  it  will  stay  at  102.  Keep  a  steady  heat  of  102  the  first  week.  If 
it  runs  to  103  the  last  of  the  first  week,  no  harm  results;  the  second  week 
keep  the  temperature  at  103;  the  third  week  keep  the  temperature  at  103 
and  104.  Do  not  let  it  run  higher  than  104  if  you  can  help  it.  At  pipping 
time  keep  the  temperature  at  103  and  104.  This  is  the  critical  time.  Too 
high  a  temperature  and  not  enough  ventilation  is  the  cause  of  chicks  dying 
in  the  shell.  Your  eggs  are  at  least  two  degrees  hotter  at  pipping  than 
your  thermometer  registers  because  of  so  much  animal  heat  in  the  eggs 
and  the  exertions  the  chicks  make  to  free  themselves  of  the  shell.  This  is 
the  reason  I  advise  a  temperature  of  103  degrees,  and  not  to  exceed  104. 
You  will  hatch  a  greater  per  cent  with  the  temperature  at  103  than  a 
higher  temperature.  As  the  hatch  progresses  remove  the  shells  and  turn 
all  the  eggs  with  the  pipped  side  up.  They  will  ofttimes  smother  when  the 
pipped  side  is  against  the  wire. 

Do  not  be  afraid  to  open  your  machine  so  long  as  you  keep  your  tem- 
perature up  to  103  and  104.  Do  not  disturb  it  until  the  chicks  begin  to 
come  out  of  the  shell.  If  you  do  not  remove  the  shells,  they  will  some- 
times slip  over  an  egg  that  is  pipped  and  smother  the  chick.  If  your  ma- 
chine has  not  more  than  one  or  two  ventilators,  go  to  your  machine  every 
half  hour  and  fan  the  door  back  and  forth  two  or  three  times  and  fill  the 


CHICKS   FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  9 

egg  chambers  with  fresh  air,  or  in  other  words,  oxygen.  The  eerg  chambers 
must  have  fresh  air  while  your  eggs  are  hatching  or  your  chick  will  die  in 
the  shell.  I  know  that  most  of  the  instruction  books  say  not  to  open  your 
incubator  till  the  hatch  is  done.  This  is  a  grand  mistake  and  you  will  find 
it  so  if  you  will  only  investigate.  There  was  not  room  enough  in  the  nur- 
sery of  my  incubator  to  hold  all  the  chicks  I  would  hatch  at  one  time.  My 
incubator  has  nine  ventilators,  and  then  the  chicks  would  open  their 
mouths  and  pant;  I  would  have  to  remove  them  as  fast  as  they  became 
strong  enough.  Too  high  a  temperature  at  the  beginning  of  the  hatch 
injures  the  embryo;  that  is  why  some  eggs  start,  then  die  after  a  few  days 
of  incubation.  If  the  proper  temperature  has  been  maintained  and  some 
die  after  a  few  days,  those  are  eggs  with  weak  germs  and  are  doomed, 
whether  they  die  the  first  week  or  after  incubation. 


Turning  and  Cooling  the  Egg 

WHEN  placing  the  eggs  in  the  incubator  care  should  be  taken  to  turn 
each  egg  over,  as  you  do  not  turn  them  again  for  twenty-four  hours. 
At  ttye  end  of  twenty-four  hours  turn  them  and  change  the  outside 
eggs  to  the  center  and  the  center  eggs  to  the  outside.  You  will  have  a 
more  even  hatch  by  changing  them  in  this  way  abou.t  every  four  days  dur- 
ing the  hatch.  Do  not  cool  the  eggs  the  first  time  you  turn  them,  only  as 
long  as  it  takes  to  turn  and  change  them  from  the  outside  to  center.  But 
after  this,  cool  them  once  and  turn  them  twice  a  day,  each  day  until  the 
eggs  begin  to  pip;  then  do  not  cool  or  turn  them  any  more.  Always  cool 
your  eggs  in  the  morning;  never  in  the  evening,  only  as  long  as  it  takes 
to  turn  them.  When  you  cool  them  in  the  morning  do  not  turn  them  till 
they  are  cold,  and  just  before  you  replace  the  trays  in  the  egg  chamber. 
This  is  nature's  way.  If  you  will  observe  a  hen  you  will  find  that  she  sel- 
dom cools  her  eggs  more  than  once  a  day,  and  that  early  in  the  morning, 
and  if  vou  will  examine  the  eggs  you  will  find  they  are  perfectly  cold.  I 
used  to:  advise  cooling  eggs  twice  a  day,  but  found  by  experimenting  that  I 
obtained  better  results  by  cooling  but  once,  unless  the  temperature 
runs  too  high  during  the  day.  Then  take  the  trays  out  of  the  incubator 
for  a  few  minutes,  so  as  to  run  the  temperature  down  quickly.  Avoid  ex- 
treme heat  if  possible.  There  is  no  given  length  of  time  to  cool  the  eggs; 
that  depends  on  the  temperature  of  the  room  in  which  the  incubator  is 
located,  and  will  have  to  be  governed  entirely  by  the  operator.  Just  leave 
them  out  of  the  incubator  till  they  feel  not  cool  but  cold  to  your  face. 
There  need  be  no  fears  that  this  cooling  will  do  harm;  the  chicks  will  be 
the  stronger  for  it  and  a  larger  per  cent  will  hatch.  In  May,  June  and 
July,  it  takes  longer  for  the  eggs  to  cool  than  it  does  in  March  and  April, 


10      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

and  as  the  hatch  advances  you  will  observe  there  is  more  animal  heat  in 
the  eggs,  consequently  it  will  take  longer  to  cool  them  than  it  did  in  the 
first  of  the  hatch.  If  you  want  strong,  healthy  chicks,  get  them  used  to 
the  cold  while  in  the  shell.  They  can  stand  more  cold  without  injury  while 
in  the  shell  than  they  can  after  they  are  hatched,  and  it  is  better  for  them 
to  get  used  to  the  changes  of  temperature  while  in  the  embryo  state  than 
to  wait  until  after  they  are  hatched.  If  you  keep  a  high  temperature  dur- 
ing incubation,  with  little  or  no  cooling,  then  place  your  chicks  in  a  brooder 
with  the  temperature  twenty  degrees  below  that  of  your  incubators;  the 
change  is  too  great,  and  your  chicks  will  contract  disease  at  once,  and  you 
will  lose  half  or  two-thirds  of  them.  This  sudden  change  is  often  the  cause 
of  bowel  trouble  and  pneumonia  in  brooder  chicks.  I  have  left  the  trays 
out  of  my  incubator  all  night  several  times  after  the  eggs  had  been  under 
the  process  of  incubation  two  weeks.  The  first  time  I  did  this  it  was  a  mis- 
take. I  had  forgotten  them,  and  I  thought  of  course  my  eggs  were  ruined, 
but  they  hatched  just  as  good  as  those  in  the  rest  of  my  incubators,  and 
the  chicks  seemed  stronger,  but  the  hatch  was  retarded  one-half  day.  I 
have  left  them  out  purposely  since  that  time,  just  to  experiment,  and 
learned  that  eggs  will  stand  all  sorts  of  cold,  just  so  it  is  not  freezing 
weather.  If  you  will  take  lessons  from  your  hens  you  will  learn  just  how 
cool  your  eggs  should  be  and  it  will  be  a  wonderful  help  to  you. 

If  you  will  always  turn  the  eggs  one  way  you  will  have  less  cripples. 
What  I  mean  is,  do  not  turn  them  backward  one  time  and  forward  the 
next.  Remove  the  first  egg  from  each  row,  which  will  allow  the  eggs  to 
move  forward.  Now  with  your  hand  move  them  forward  gently.  You  will 
note  that  the  eggs  are  turned  about  half  over.  Next  place  the  eggs  you 
have  removed  in  the  vacant  space  in  the  rear  of  the  tray.  This  also 
changes  their  location  in  the  incubator  at  each  time  of  turning.  For 
instance,  after  you  have  turned  the  eggs  to  the  number  of  times  you  have 
eggs  in  each  row  you  will  then  have  the  eggs  that  were  first  placed  in  the 
rear  end  of  the  tray  back  again  to  the  front  end  of  the  tray.  If  you  will 
always  turn  them  toward  the  little  opening  where  the  chicks  drop  into  the 
nursery  you  cannot  make  a  mistake.  I  would  advise  the  operator  to  shift 
the  trays  from  end  to  end  and  from  side  to  side  in  their  machine  every 
time  they  turn  the  eggs,  providing  their  machine  has  two  trays.  If  they 
are  operating  a  small  incubator  with  but  one  tray,  then  all  that  is  necessary 
is  to  turn  the  tray  end  for  end.  You  will  find  this  is  quite  a  help  in  operat- 
ing and  will  overcome  difficulties  that  are  bound  to  exist  where  you  set  so 
many  eggs  together.  You  will  avoid  a  lingering  hatch  by  following  the 
rules  given  above. 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  11 

Ventilation  and  How  to  Prevent  Chicks  From 
Dying  in  the  Shell 

THERE  are  many  kinds  and  makes  of  incubators.  Some  are  made 
of  good  material  but  do  not  give  satisfaction  because  they  are  not 
ventilated  properly.  Others  are  made  of  poor  material  and  soon 
warp,  or  the  tank  will  rust  out.  Some  do  not  give  a  uniform  heat  through- 
out the  egg  chambers,  which  makes  a  lingering  hatch.  Now  I  will  tell 
you  how  an  incubator  should  be  ventilated  for  best  results.  There  should 
be  four  ventilators  in  the  bottom,  one  at  each  end,  about  six  inches  from 
the  end  and  on  a  line  with  the  center  of  the  incubator,  and  one  at  each 
side,  (I  mean  the  front  and  back,)  about  six  inches  from  the  front  and  back 
and  on  a  line  with  the  center  the  other  way  of  the  incubator.  These  ven- 
tilators should  be  about  one-half  inch  holes  and  a  strip  of  tin  bent  and 
tacked  over  them  so  that  the  cold  air  will  not  come  in  contact  with  the 
eggs.  Then  there  should  be  two  holes  the  same  size  as  the  others  in  each 
end  just  below  the  tank  and  about  six  inches  from  the  front  and  back  of 
the  machine.  There  should  be  no  ventilators  in  the  front  or  back  of  your 
machine,  only  in  the  ends,  bottom  and  top.  The  ventilators  in  the  ends 
should  be  above  the  eggs  so  there  will  not  be  a  direct  draught  over  them. 
There  should  be  a  two-inch  hole  in  the  top  of  the  machine,  about 
the  center.  This  ventilator  I  use  when  my  chicks  are  hatching.  I  open 
all  nine  ventilators  after  the  eggs  begin  to  pip.  This  gives  the  chicks 
plenty  of  fresh  air,  and  fresh  air  contains  oxygen,  which  is  the  life  of  every 
living  creature.  Not  a  living  thing  that  breathes  on  the  face  of  the  earth 
could  live  without  oxygen.  Then  do  you  wonder  that  your  chicks  die  in 
the  shell,  shut  up  in  a  tight  box  with  a  temperature  of  103  or  104,  with 
little  or  no  fresh  air.  And  your  directions  will  tell  you  not  to  open  the  door 
until  your  hatch  is  done!  Dear  reader,  just  reason  a  little  and  you  will  see 
that  this  is  all  a  grand  mistake.  Your  chicks  must  have  fresh  air  and  if 
your  machine  hasn't  the  proper  ventilation  just  go  to  it  every  little  while 
and  fan  the  door  back  and  forth  three  or  four  times.  This  is  necessary 
only  at  hatching  time.  Chicks  must  have  air,  so  do  not  fail  to  give  it  to 
them.  I  never  allow  my  chicks  to  pant  in  the  incubator.  I  have  taken  the 
tray  out  and  set  it  upon  the  machine  for  a  minute  to  give  my  chicks  fresh 
air,  for  if  they  get  over-heated  in  the  incubator  it  is  just  as  fatal  to  them 
as  if  they  were  overheated  in  the  brooder.  Too  high  a  temperature  and 
not  enough  ventilation  at  hatching  time  will  cause  chicks  to  have  bowel 
trouble. 

The  ventilators  on  the  end  of  the  machine  should  have  a  round  piece 
of  tin  tacked  over  them  so  they  can  be  moved  to  give  fresh  air  when  it  is 
necessary.  I  open  these  end  ventilators  one-third  on  the  third  day  of  in- 


12      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

cubation.  At  the  end  of  the  first  week  I  open  them  a  little  more,  and 
every  day  or  two  I  open  a  little  more  until  at  the  end  of  the  second  week 
they  are  wide  open— except  the  one  on  top— and  continue  so  until  the  end 
of  the  hatch.  The  two  inch  ventilator  on  top  I  begin  to  open  at  pipping 
time,  just  a  little  at  first  and  more  as  I  see  it  is  necessary.  Incubators 
that  haven't  enough  ventilation  can  be  reconstructed  by  putting  in  extra 
ventilators  and  made  to  do  good  work.  The  four  ventilators  in  the  bottom 
of  the  incubator  should  be  left  open  all  the  time  with  a  piece  of  cupped 
tin  over  them.  This  piece  of  tin  should  be  about  four  inches  long  and 
three  inches  wide  and  cupped  just  a  little  so  the  air  can  enter  the  egg 
chamber.  This  tin  gives  the  air  a  chance  to  get  warm  before  it  reaches 
the  eggs.  I  have  hatched  chicks  by  the  thousand  according  to  the  direc- 
tions I  have  marked  out  to  you,  and  so  can  you  if  you  will  do  just  as  I  have 
told  you. 


Moisture  and  When  to  Introduce  It 

A  FEW  days  before  your  incubator  is  due  to  hatch,  take  a  piece  of 
loosely  woven  burlap  or  coffee  sack,  wash  it  perfectly  clean  and 
scald.  After  it  dries  press  it  and  cut  it  just  the  size  of  the  bottom 
of  your  incubator.  Hem  it  all  around  so  the  little  chicks  will  not  tangle  in 
the  ravelings.  Now  if  you  have  any  ventilators  in  the  bottom  of  your 
machine  (which  you  should  have),  make  a  hole  in  the  burlap  just  over  the 
ventilators  and  buttonhole  around  it,  so  that  the  air  can  pass  through 
into  the  egg  chamber,  just  the  same  as  if  the  burlap  was  not  there. 
As  soon  as  you  see  four  or  five  eggs  pipped  remove  the  trays  from  the  incu- 
bator and  place  them  on  a  blanket,  then  take  some  luke-warm  water  and 
sprinkle  your  eggs  and  replace  the  trays  at  once  Your  thermometer  should 
register  104  degrees  before  you  give%your  eggs  this  bath  or  sprinkling,  for 
this  sprinkling  will  have  a  tendency  to  lower  the  temperature  a  little.  Do 
not  let  your  thermometer  register  more  than  104,  or  below  102.  At  pipping 
time,  after  the  chicks  begin  to  come  out  of  the  shell,  dampen  burlap  men- 
tioned above  with  boiling  water.  Do  not  make  it  wet  enough  to  drip.  Now 
remove  the  trays  again.  Place  the  steaming  burlap  in  the  bottom  of  your 
incubator.  Now  replace  your  trays  while  the  burlap  is  steaming,  close 
your  doors,  and  do  not  open  again  for  awhile  so  the  eggs  will  get  the  full 
benefit  of  the  steam.  Leave  this  burlap  in  the  bottom  of  your  machine  till 
the  hatch  is  done.  This  is  all  the  moisture  you  need  to  introduce  into  your 
machine  during  the  whole  hatch  unless  for  some  cause  the  temperature  in 
your  incubator  should  run  up  to  108  or  110  or  higher.  You  can  sometimes 
save  your  hatch,  or  a  part  of  it,  if  they  have  not  been  hot  too  long,  by  re- 
moving the  trays  from  your  machine  and  shower  the  eggs  with  warm 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  13 

water.  Leave  them  out  of  your  incubator  until  the  eggs  are  cool.  Once  I 
saved  167  chicks  from  208  eggs,  after  my  thermometer  registered  113  de- 
grees, by  showering  them  in  this  way.  I  turned  the  flame  of  my  lamp  up 
and  forgot  it,  as  we  all  do  sometimes,  you  know.  Do  not  let  this  occur 
very  often  for  they  will  take  up  a  great  deal  of  moisture  when  they  are 
quite  warm.  This  sprinkling  is  to  lower  the  temperature  quickly.  If  they 
were  left  to  cool  of  themselves  after  the  thermometer  registers  113, 
not  many  would  survive  without  this  bath.  I  used  to  moisten  my  eggs 
every  day.  The  consequence  was  I  drowned  my  chicks  or  a  great  many 
of  them.  I  have  learned  by  experience  that  the  eggs  need  drying  out 
instead  of  moisture,  so  the  chick  will  have  room  to  pip. 

You  will  observe  during  the  last  few  days  of  incubation  that  your  trays 
are  much  lighter  than  they  were  the  first  week  of  incubation.  Sometimes 
chicks  have  a  tendency  to  stick  to  the  shell.  This  is  why  you  should  put 
this  steaming  burlap  in  the  bottom  of  your  incubator.  It  penetrates  the 
egg  at  once,  loosens  the  chick  so  it  can  turn  and  pip  the  shell  clear  around 
and  come  out.  The  pans  which  the  Incubator  Companies  furnish  with 
their  incubators  are  a  perfect  nuisance.  Tljey  moisten  a  few  eggs,  that's 
true,  but  only  those  that  are  just  above  the  pan.  For  best  results  and  an 
even  hatch  you  want  your  eggs  all  moistened  at  the  same  time.  If  you 
would  have  success  do  not  fail  to  do  as  I  have  told  you  in  every  detail. 
This  damp  burlap  may  have  a  tendency  to  lower  the  temperature  a  little. 
If  so  turn  up  your  lamp  until  your  thermometer  registers  103  or  104.  Be 
sure  that  you  do  not  cover  up  the  ventilators  in  the  bottom  of  you  incuba- 
tor with  the  burlap,  but  place  the  openings  in  the  burlap  directly  over  the 
ventilators  in  your  incubator  so  the  air  can  come  through  the  ventilators  in 
the  egg  chamber  and  you  will  not  smother  your  chicks. 


How  to  Pip  the   Egg 

AFTER  the  chicks  are  all  hatched  that  you  think  are  going  to  hatch 
you  can  save  a  great  many  by  pipping  the  shell  yourself,  by  doing 
as  I  will  tell  you.  I  have  saved  as  many  as  twenty  in  one  hatch. 
First,  break  the  egg  at  A.  Strike  it  gently  on  the  head  of  a  nail  or  some- 
thing very  solid.  Kemove  enough  of  the  shell  so  you  can  see  the  position 
of  the  chick  in  the  shell.  If  the  chick  is  alive  you  may  find  the  membrane 
broken  at  B  and  the  chick's  bill  protruding.  If  so  place  it  in  the  incuba- 
tor again  till  the  blood  has  all  been  taken  up  by  the  chick  and  it  begins  to 
make  exertions  to  get  out,  then  remove  the  shell,  providing  it  does  not  bleed. 
If  you  do  not  find  the  bill  at  B,  then  pip  the  shell  at  C.  If  the  membrane 
or  lining  of  the  egg  resembles  greased  paper  open  it  with  a  pin  to  give  the 
chick  air  till  it  is  all  finished  up.  You  can  remove  a  great  deal  of  the  shell 


14      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

if  you  will  keep  the  membrane  damp,  and  no  harm  will  result.  I  have 
often  removed  nearly  the  entire  shell  before  I  could  locate  the  bill.  The 
chick  must  have  air.  Open  the  shell  some  where  whether  you  find  the  bill 
or  not.  Sometimes  the  bill  will  strike  the  wing  and  cannot  reach  the 
shell,  but  the  chick  would  be  strong  and  healthy  if  you  can  only  save  it. 
Some  one  will  tell  you  that  a  chick  that  cannot  hatch  without  help  is  no 


Diagram  showing  how  to  pip  the  egg 

good.  This  is  all  a  mistake.  I  advise  you  to  save  all  you  can,  if  you  do 
have  to  pick  them  out  of  the  shell,  for  you  will  lose  enough  after  they  are 
hatched  if  you  happen  to  overfeed  or  overheat  them.  If  you  will  remove 
the  shell  from  those  that  die  it  will  give  you  an  idea  of  the  exact  position 
of  the  chick  and  make  it  easier  for  you  to  locate  the  bill.  It  will  be  a 
great  help  to  you. 

How  to  Prepare  the  Brooder  for  the  Chicks 

FIRST,  place  paper  in  the  bottom  of  the  brooder,  then  cover  the  entire 
brooder  floor  with  dry  sand,  (dry  sand,  mind  you),  to  the  depth  of 
one-half  inch,  if  the  weather  is  quite  cold.  But  if  it  be  warm,  one- 
fourth  inch  will  do.  The  feed  room  of  brooder  should  have  straw  or  tim- 
othy chaff  scattered  over  the  floor,  so  it  will  furnish  the  chicks  exercise 
while  waiting  for  their  food.  Place  your  lamp  in  your  brooder  about  five 
or  six  hours  before  you  want  to  put  the  chicks  in  it.  Be  sure  the  sand  is 
warm  and  keep  the  temperature  at  about  eighty  degrees.  If  you  have  a 
good  hatch  the  temperature  will  rise  to  about  ninety  degrees  after  the 
chicks  are  put  in  the  brooder.  This  temperature,  ninety  degrees,  should 
be  kept  for  the  first  week  or  ten  days,  then  gradually  wean  them  away 
from  the  heat  as  their  strength  will  permit.  The  operator  can  lower  the 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  15 

heat  gradually  and  still  keep  the  flock  comfortable.  If  the  chicks  crowd 
to  the  warmest  part  of  the  brooder  and  pile  up,  it  is  an  indication  of  too 
low  a  temperature.  If  they  move  about  with  drooping  wings  and 
open  mouths  and  sit  outside  of  the  hover,  then  the  temperature  is  too 
high.  There  is  no  regularity  known  that  will  give  as  good  satisfaction  as 
the  chicks  themselves,  as  their  actions  will  easily  demonstrate  whether 
they  are  too  cold  or  too  hot.  The  ventilators  should  be  left  part  way  open 
to  admit  fresh  air,  but  no  set  rule  could  be  given  here  just  how  wide  they 
should  be  left  open,  as  there  are  many  different  makes  of  brooders  and 
much  depends  on  the  weather  as  well  as  the  location  of  the  brooder.  The 
brooder  should  be  kept  absolutely  clean,  removing  the  sand  and  chaff  every 
other  day.  Chicks  in  a  good  brooder,  if  furnished  with  pure,  warm  air  at 
all  times,  and  if  the  brooder  be  kept  clean,  will  thrive  and  grow  very  rap- 
idly, while  on  the  other  hand,  if  the  brooder  becomes  filthy  you  may  expect 
to  lose  nearly  the  entire  hatch.  The  gas  that  rises  from  a  filthy  brooder  is 
very  poisonous  to  little  chicks  and  causes  dysentery.  This  becomes  con- 
tagious and  will  go  through  your  whole  flock  if  you  do  not  remove  the 
afflicted  chicks  and  clean  and  disinfect  your  brooders  and  brooder  houses. 
This  can  be  done  with  lime  and  sulphur.  Whitewash  your  brooders  and 
brooder  houses  with  fresh  lime.  Air-slacked  lime  will  not  do;  it  is  not 
strong  enough.  Then  fumigate  with  sulphur.  Remove  your  chicks  to  a 
place  where  they  will  be  comfortable  while  this  work  is  going  on.  The 
brooder  must  be  dry  before  placing  the  chicks  in  it  again.  The  white- 
wash will  answer  a  double  purpose;  it  will  destroy  mites  and  lice  as  well  as 
cleanse  your  house  and  brooder.  If  you  will  always  place  a  newspaper  in 
the  brooder  before  putting  in  the  sand  and  chaff  it  will  be  a  great  deal 
easier  cleaned.  When  your  chicks  are  two  weeks  old  you  can  use  hay  or 
straw  instead  of  sand  on  your  brooder  floors.  Change  it  twice  a  week  until 
they  are  three  weeks  old,  then  once  a  week  will  do.  Watch  for  mites;  they 
can  get  in  their  deadly  work  in  a  very  short  time.  They  breed  and  accumu- 
late very  fast  and  will  sap  the  lives  of  your  little  chicks  before  you  hardly 
know  it.  Keep  your  lamp  burners  clean,  also  your  wicks.  Dirty  wicks  are 
often  the  cause  of  brooder  lamps  exploding.  You  can  clean  your  lamp 
burners  by  boiling  them  in  strong  soap  suds.  Put  your  sand  in  pans  and 
place  in  the  oven  and  heat  it.  It  will  not  take  so  long  to  heat  the  brooder 
if  sand  is  thus  warmed,  before  placing  it  in  the  brooder. 


When  to  Remove  Chicks  to  the  Brooder 

IF  you  have  a  good  hatch,  your  incubator  will  become  crowded  before  the 
hatch  is  done.    Remove  all  the  strong  chicks  that  seem  dissatisfied  and 
crowd  to  the  front  of  the  incubator   to   the    brooder    that    you    have 
heated    and    prepared    for    them    according    to    directions.    Take    from 


16       HOW  TO  HATCH,  BEOOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

the  machine  only  those  that  are  lively  and  can  toddle  around.  Now 
watch  the  temperature  of  your  brooder.  Do  not  let  it  get  too  warm,  for 
just  as  soon  as  you  put  chicks  in  the  brooder  the  temperature  will  begin 
to  rise.  Keep  turning  the  lamp  down  and  keep  the  temperature  at  about 
90  degrees.  I  place  my  brooder  in  the  kitchen  or  dining  room  for  the  first 
thirty-six  hours,  or  until  the  hatch  is  all  done  and  the  time  comes  to  feed 
them.  It  makes  less  work  for  the  operator  and  you  can  watch  the  temper- 
ature of  your  brooder  better.  You  may  think  it  will  not  look  well  to  put 
your  chicks  in  the  kitchen  or  dining  room.  Do  not  think  any  such  thing. 
I  would  rather  think  it  was  an  ornament  even  to  the  parlor,  considering 
the  prices  of  poultry  and  eggs  for  the  last  few  years.  If  you  can  save  your 
hatch  by  using  the  best  room  in  your  house  for  your  brooder  for  a  few 
days,  do  it,  for  it  would  be  just  like  piling  up  silver  dollars.  If  you  have 
an  early  hatch,  say  in  March  or  April,  and  you  think  it  too  cold  to  remove 
your  brooder  and  chicks  to  the  brooder  house,  first  spread  a  newspaper  in 
front  of  your  brooder,  and  scatter  a  little  sand  and  chaff  over  it.  Nail  some 
short  boards  together  and  make  a  little  run.  Then  let  your  little  chicks 
out  for  exercise  and  feed.  If  you  have  the  room  to  spare  keep  this  little 
run  in  front  of  your  brooder  for  a  few  days  and  let  the  chicks  run  in  and 
out  at  will.  They  will  soon  learn  that  the  brooder  is  warm  and  will  depend 
upon  it  warming  them  just  the  same  as  they  would  a  hen.  Remove  the 
paper  as  often  as  it  gets  soiled,  say  twice  a  day.  Scatter  your  feed,  also  a 
little  timothy  seed  on  this  paper.  This  will  give  them  exercise,  for  they 
will  work  and  scratch  and  chatter  and  seem  better  contented  than  if  they 
had  nothing  to  do.  After  a  few  days,  when  the  chicks  have  learned  that 
the  brooder  is  their  home  and  mother,  remove  them  to  the  brooder  house. 
They  will  be  stronger  and  can  stand  the  cold  better  than  they  could  if  you 
had  removed  them  there  just  after  taking  them  out  of  the  incubator. 
Sometimes  in  the  spring,  the  temperature  falls  quite  low  in  the  night.  You 
will  have  to  watch  this  closely,  as  your  chicks  will  pile  up  and  smother. 
They  will  never  pile  up  if  they  are  warm  enough.  I  always  kill  the  crip- 
ples. They  never  amount  to  anything  if  they  live,  and  all  the  time  you 
put  in  on  them  is  just  wasted.  Sometimes,  on  a  rainy  day,  after  the 
chicks  are  quite  large,  they  will  pile  up  in  the  brooder  and  smother  or 
trample  the  weak  ones  to  death.  You  can  avoid  this  by  making  a  fire  in 
the  brooder  house.  There  are  old  second-hand  stoves  one  can  buy  very 
reasonable  that  will  answer  the  purpose.  I  have  a  stove  in  each  one  of  my 
brooder  houses  and  in  the  early  spring  I  keep  a  fire  all  day  so  the  chicks 
will  not  become  chilled  and  take  cold.  They  seem  better  contented,  too. 
I  cover  the  floor  of  the  brooder  house  with  dry  dirt  in  the  early  spring;  it 
keeps  out  the  wind  and  makes  it  much  warmer.  I  sprinkle  ashes  and  a 
little  lime  over  this  floor  and  when  the  house  is  warm  and  the  sun  shines 
in  on  the  floor  the  chicks  will  just  make  the  dust  fly.  When  this  becomes 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  TN  THE  SHELL  17 

filthy  clean  it  out  and  put  in  some  more.    You  will  not  have  to  clean  it 
often.     It  is  less  work  than  scrubbing  the  floor. 


How  and  What  to  Feed  Brooder  Chicks 

PR  years  past  every  reader  of  the  poultry  and  agricultural  papers  have 
read  the  statement,  reiterated  time  and  time  again,  that  it  is  a  com- 
paratively easy  matter  to  hatch  chicks  in  incubators,  but  a  difficult 
matter  to  raise  them.  So  it  has  been,  and  so  it  is  today.  Feeding  brooder 
chicks  is  the  most  important  part  of  poultry  culture.  I  have  found  this 
out  by  experience.  I  used  to  feed  my  chicks  to  death.  I  killed  them  try- 
ing to  be  good  to  them,  consequently  I  have  given  the  subject  of  feeding 
brooder  chicks  a  great  deal  of  careful  study  and  have  found  at  last  how 
and  what  to  feed  them  for  best  results.  Do  not  feed  the  young  chicks  for 
from  twenty-four  to  thirty-six  hours  after  they  are  hatched,  but  allow 
them  to  pick  at  sand,  charcoal,  a  little  bran,  and  timothy  seed,  that  has 
been  placed  in  the  brooder.  At  the  end  of  twenty-four  or  thirty-six  hours, 
to  200  chicks  feed  one- third  cup  of  broken  rice  If  you  cannot  obtain 
broken  rice,  just  grind  some  whole  rice  in  your  coffee  mill.  Do  not  grind  it 
very  fine  as  a  great  deal  will  go  to  dust  which  will  be  a  loss.  Peed  this  raw 
and  dry.  Then  in  about  three  hours  give  them  a  drink  of  boiled,  sweet, 
skimmed  milk.  Do  not  let  them  drink  all  they  want  of  it  for  ten  days,  but 
just  enough  to  moisten  their  food  real  good.  In  the  evening  give  them 
one-half  teacup  of  lettuce  chopped  real  fine.  This  amount  is  for  200 
chicks.  Feed  rice,  lettuce  and  boiled  milk  but  once  the  first  day.  The 
second  day  feed  one-half  teacup  of  rice  three  times,  once  in  the  morning, 
at  noon  and  night,  and  one-half  cup  of  lettuce  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon 
and  one-half  cup,  chopped  fine,  at  three  in  the  afternoon.  Give  boiled  sweet 
milk  but  twice  a  day  for  ten  days,  once  in  the  forenoon  and  once  in  the 
afternoon.  Do  not  put  this  drink  in  open  dishes,  or  troughs,  and  do  not  try 
to  water  all  at  the  same  time,  but  make  some  fountains  out  of  old  tin  fruit 
cans.  Punch  a  hole  about  the  size  of  a  ten  penny  nail  one-fourth  inch 
down  from  the  open  end  of  the  can.  Put  the  milk  or  water  in  this.  Place 
a  saucer  over  the  top  and  turn  quickly  and  the  milk  or  water  will  come 
out  as  fast  as  the  chicks  drink  it.  A  quart  can  is  the  right  size  for  a 
saucer  and  a  pint  can  the  size  for  a  sauce  dish.  This  prevents  the  chicks 
from  getting  wet.  Water  just  a  few  chicks  at  a  time  so  you  will  be  sure 
they  do  not  get  too  much,  for  they  can  founder  on  water  or  milk  just  as 
quickly  as  they  can  on  feed,  and  it  affects  them  just  the  same.  Take  a 
cracker  box  and  put  two  of  the  can  fountains  in  it,  then  put  ten  or  fifteen 
chicks  in  it  and  watch  them  and  see  that  they  all  get  a  drink,  but  not  too 
much.  After  they  have  had  enough,  remove  them  to  another  box.  Do 


18      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

not  put  them  back  in  the  brooder  as  you  will  not  know  which  chicks  you 
have  watered.  Now  put  ten  or  fifteen  more  in  the  box  that  contains  the 
fountains  and  do  just  as  you  did  before,  and  so  on  until  they  have  all  had 
a  drink.  Do  this  for  several  days  until  they  all  learn  how  to  drink,  then  fix 
more  cans,  about  six  or  eight  to  200  chicks,  so  they  can  all  drink  at  once, 
but  do  not  let  them  have  all  they  will  drink.  After  ten  days  fill  the  cans 
with  water  and  leave  them  sit  till  the  chicks  have  had  all  they  want,  then 
you  can  keep  water  or  milk  by  them  all  the  time.  Early  in  spring  before 
you  can  have  lettuce,  cut  clover  or  blue  grass  is  a  good  substitute.  They 
must  have  something  green.  Cabbage  must  not  be  fed  to  brooder  chicks 
till  they  are  four  weeks  old:  it  loosens  their  bowels  too  much.  After  the 
chicks  are  eight  days  old  begin  to  feed  a  few  bread  crumbs  and  a  little 
cracked  wheat  mixed  with  their  rice.  Feed  this  till  they  are  three  weeks 
old,  then  you  can  mix  a  little  course  ground  meal  with  their  feed.  When 
they  are  four  weeks  old  feed  anything  you  please  and  as  much  as  you 
please.  You  should  feed  ground  bone  or  beef  scraps  three  times  a  week 
after  the  first  week,  not  too  much  at  a  time;  it  takes  the  place  of  bugs, 
worms,  and  grasshoppers  which  they  would  get  if  running  with  a  hen. 
Every  poultry  raiser  should  have  a  bone  cutter;  it  does  not  cost  much  and 
one  can  utilize  every  old  bone  and  convert  it  into  profit,  which  otherwise 
would  be  a  waste.  For  best  results  in  raising  brooder  chicks  you  must 
make  the  conditions  as  near  like  they  were  with  a  hen  as  possible.  Scatter 
timothy  seed  and  bran  in  the  chaff  in  the  brooder,  also  over  the  floor  of 
the  brooder  house;  it  will  keep  the  chicks  busy  and  it  would,  take  a  long 
time  for  them  to  eat  enough  to  hurt  them.  The  heavy  breeds  require 
a  little  more  feed  than  the  Leghorns  or  Minorcas,  but  do  not  feed  too  much. 
If  you  will  heat  the  rice  a  little,  the  chicks  do  better  and  it  will  kill  disease 
germs. 

If  you  can  keep  your  chicks  healthy  for  two  weeks,  all  danger  is  pas 
so  far  as  feed  is  concerned,  but  watch  your  brooder  -and  brooder  house 
closely  for  mites;  if  they  get  a  start  in  your  brooder  they  will  soon  sap  the 
life  of  your  little  chicks. 

Do  not  feed  any  sour  food  or  moulded  bread  to  your  chicks.  Do  not 
wet  their  food.  Wet,  sloppy  food  will  cause  dysentery,  which  is  very  fatal 
to  brooder  chicks  because  it  is  very  contagious;  it  is  liable  to  go  through 
your  whole  flock  if  it  once  gets  started.  You  should  remove  all  chicks 
that  are  affected  in  this  way  and  clean  your  brooder  thoroughly,  then  close 
it  up  and  burn  sulphur  in  it.  This  will  kill  all  disease  germs. 

After  your  chicks  are  twelve  days  old  you  can  increase  their  feed.  To 
200  chicks  give  one- half  cup  of  rice  three  times  a  day  and  one  cup  of 
lettuce  twice  a  day.  You  can  feed  part  rice  and  part  wheat,  '  or  bread 
crumbs.  Do  not  feed  more  than  they  will  clean  up;  if  they  leave  any,  miss 
one  feed.  Count  your  chicks  and  measure  your  feed  accordingly.  I  made 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  19 

arrangements  with  a  Chicago  firm  from  which  to  buy  rice.  I  can  buy  it 
so  that  I  can  sell  it  for  $3.00  per  hundred  weight.  This  is  cheaper  than 
wheat  for  it  does  not  require  more  than  half  as  much  rice  as  it  does  most 
any  other  kind  of  food.  It  is  the  best  food  for  little  chicks  that  can  be 
procured;  it  is  nutritious  but  nothing  rich  or  greasy  about  it.  There  is  not 
so  much  danger  of  bowel  trouble  when  you  feed  rice.  It  is  the  best  food  I 
have  ever  tried  and  I  have  tried  everything.  Break  up  charcoal  and  scat- 
ter over  the  floor  of  your  brooder  house,  or  better  still,  pound  it  up  real 
fine  and  mix  it  with  chopped  lettuce;  it  keeps  their  crops  sweet  and  aids 
digestion.  You  must  sow  lots  of  lettuce;  it  will  save  so  much  feed. 


Early  Hatched  Chickens  Are  Best 

BEST  results  are  obtained  from  early  hatches  -March,  April  and  May. 
There  are  then  not  so  many  disease  germs  as  appear  later  in  the 
season,  and  you  do  not  have  lice  and  mites  to  contend  with  until 
June,  July,  August  and  September.  You  can  hatch  and  raise  chicks  in 
June,  July,  and  August,  but  you  can  raise  a  greater  per  cent  with  less 
trouble  earlier  in  the  season.  I  would  advise  every  one  to  hatch  their 
chicks  as  early  as  possible.  The  early  chicks  seem  stronger  and  grow 
larger  than  those  hatched  later  in  the  season.  Another  advantage  in  hav- 
ing early  hatches,  the  pullets  will  commence  laying  early  in  the  fall  and  if 
they  have  comfortable  quarters  and  proper  food,  will  continue  to  lay  all 
winter. 

I  used  to  hatch  chicks  all  summer,  for  I  had  but  two  incubators  and 
could  not  hatch  as  many  as  I  do  now.  After  I  hatched  all  I  wanted  for 
myself,  I  would  hatch  for  my  neighbors.  In  this  way  I  could  keep  up  ex- 
penses for  eggs,  oil,  incubators,  brooders,  feed  yard,  etc.  At  one  hatch  this 
season  I  took  1,087  chicks  from  my  incubators  in  one  day.  I  advertised  in 
the  papers  two  weeks  before  my  incubators  were  due  to  hatch  that  I  would 
hatch  1,000  chicks  on  the  19th  day  of  July. 

Many  people  have  expressed  the  desire  to  come  to  my  home  when  my 
incubators  hatched,  so  they  could  see  just  what  I  did  to  obtain  such  good 
results.  That  is  why  I  advertised  that  I  would  hatch  1,000  chicks  on  that 
day.  I  invited  all  to  come,  and  about  100  responded.  I  exceeded  my 
promise  by  eighty  seven  and  only  lost  twenty-three  chicks  in  the  shell. 
The  weather  was  quite  warm  and  my  incubators,  six  of  them,  were  all  in 
one  room.  The  animal  heat  in  the  egg  kept  up  the  desired  temperature,  so 
that  I  did  not  have  any  lamps  under  my  incubators  for  four  days  before 
the  hatch,  and  removed  975  chicks  before  I  used  any  artificial  heat  at  all. 
Then  I  collected  the  eggs  that  were  pipped  and  those  that  were  not  and 
put  them  in  one  incubator,  lighted  a  lamp  and  placed  under  it  to  finish 


20      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

the  hatch.  Those  1,087  chicks  were  hatched  with  the  temperature  at  103 
degrees.  Then  the  chicks  seemed  awfully  warm.  There  is  where  I  have 
made  a  mistake  so  many  times,  keeping  too  high  a  temperature  at  pipping 
time.  I  sold  those  chicks.  They  brought  me  about  sixty  dollars;  my  eggs 
cost  me  twelve.  Not  so  bad  for  three  weeks  work,  was  it.? 


How  to  Hatch  Ducks  by  Incubation 

r  takes  the  same  temperature  and  treatment  for  duck  eggs  as  it  does  for 
hen  eggs,  with  the  exception  of  moisture.  Duck  eggs  require  moisture 
while  hen  eggs  do  not.  You  do  not  introduce  moisture  into  your  ma- 
chine, however,  till  the  second  week  of  incubation.  Then,  about  every  four 
days  place  a  damp  cloth  (one  thickness  only)  in  the  nursery  or  bottom  of 
your  incubator,  leave  it  there  until  it  is  dry,  then  remove  it  until  the  time 
comes  to  replace  it  again.  At  pipping  time  shower  the  eggs  and  use  the 
burlap  just  the  same  as  you  do  when  hatching  chicks.  Do  not  use  the 
burlap  for  moisture  during  the  hatch,  as  it  is  heavy  and  will  hold  more 
moisture  than  is  required.  I  use  an  open  flour  sack.  I  wring  it  as  dry  as 
I  can  out  of  hot  water.  Watch  your  eggs  at  pipping  time  and  turn  all  the 
pipped  eggs  with  pipped  side  up  so  they  will  not  smother.  Do  not  place 
hen  eggs  and  duck  eggs  in  the  same  machine,  as  the  treatment  is  different, 
also  the  time.  It  takes  three  weeks  for  hen  eggs  to  hatch  and  four  weeks 
for  duck  eggs,  consequently  the  changes  of  the  eggs  take  place  at  different 
times. 

BROODING  DUCKS— Ducks  do  not  need  as  much  care  as  chicks;  they 
can  stand  more  cold  and  wet.  However,  I  keep  them  warm  for  a  few  days, 
then  let  them  run  at  will,  but  place  them  in  a  brooder  at  night,  for  rats, 
skunks  and  weasles  are  death  on  young  ducks. 

You  can  make  a  comfortable  brooder  for  ducks  out  of  a  goods  box.  Just 
remove  one  board,  so  as  to  give  the  top  a  slant,  replace  the  top,  saw  the 
sides  even  with  the  top,  then  take  a  piece  of  oil  cloth  or  an  old  gram  sack, 
or  even  a  piece  of  muslin  will  do.  Cover  with  common  barn  paint.  If  you 
put  it  on  quite  thick,  one  coat  will  do.  I  have  made  good  coops  for  hens 
and  chicks  in  this  way. 

The  Pekin  variety,  above  all  others,  seem  to  meet  the  market  want 
best.  They  are  the  most  popular,  as  well  as  the  most  profitable  duck  we 
have  in  this  country.  They  are  very  large,  creamy  white,  laying  from  100 
to  150  eggs  each  season.  They  are,  as  a  rule,  very  easy  to  raise,  mature 
quickly,  and  are  the  leading  variety  for  market;  do  not  require  water  except 
for  drinking.  Pekin  ducks  are,  as  a  rule,  very  healthy,  not  being  subject 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL 


21 


Mammoth  Imperial  Pekin  Ducks 

The  Best  Ducks  Raised 


to  many  of  the  diseases  that  poultry  is  heir  to.  The  demand  for  Pekins 
was  never  as  large  as  during  the  past  year,  thus  proving  their  popularity, 
and  that  people  realize  there  is  money  in  duck  culture. 


How  and  What  to  Feed  Ducks 

IN  the  first  place  you  should  never  keep  ducks  confined  only  for  a  day  or 
two.  Just  as  soon  as  they  are  strong  enough  to  run  after  a  hen  turn 

them  out. 

You  do  not  have  to  be  as  particular  about  feeding  them  as  you  do 
chicks  and  turkeys;  they  will  eat  almost  anything.  But  for  best  results  it 
is  better  to  feed  them  cooked  feed  for  the  first  week  or  two.  Corn  bread 
without  any  grease  in  it  is  good;  also  light  bread  soaked  in  boiled  milk. 
After  two  weeks  they  will  eat  corn  meal,  boiled  potatoes,  beef  scraps  or 
most  any  thing  you  have  a  mind  to  feed  them.  They  should  have  ground 
bone  about  three  times  a  week  and  lettuce  as  many  times  a  day  as  you  have 
time  to  give  it  to  them.  Peed  them  lettuce  from  the  start;  they  are  very 
fond  of  it  and  will  grow  a  great  deal  faster  and  do  a  great  deal  better  than 
without  it.  If  you  have  a  hatch  early  in  the  spring  before  lettuce  comes 


22      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

on,  feed  them  alfalfa  meal.  Steam  it  or  pour  a  little  boiling  water-  over  it 
to  moisten  and  make  it  soft.  It  is  a  cheap  feed  for  either  chicks,  ducks  or 
geese,  early  in  the  spring,  before  there  is  any  green  stuff  to  feed  them.  Do 
not  fail  to  plant  lettuce  every  week  and  plenty  of  it.  You  can  almost  raise 
ducks  on  lettuce.  It  will  lessen  your  expense  for  feed  one-half.  I  have 
never  raised  enough  yet  to  do  me,  but  if  I  live  I  shall  sow  it  every  week 
this  coming  season.  You  can  plant  it  in  little  nooks  and  corners  of  your 
gardens  and  fields  that  would  otherwise  lie  idle.  If  you  buy  your  seed  by 
the  pound  you  can  get  it  a  great  deal  cheaper.  Ducks  are  more  healthy 
when  given  plenty  of  lettuce.  The  Pekin  is  the  most  profitable  breed  you 
can  raise;  they  grow  fast  and  mature  young.  Keep  plenty  of  fresh  water 
by  them  at  all  times. 


Mating,  Breeding  and  Rearing  Turkeys 

THE  Mammoth  Bronze  turkey  is  the  acknowledged  king  of  all  turkeys. 
Plumage  of  the  male  on  back  and  breast  is  a  brilliant  bronze   hue, 
which  glistens  in  the  sunlight  like  burnished  gold.     Wing  coverts 
are  a  beautiful  rich  bronze,  the  feathers  terminating  in  a  wide  bronze  band 
across  the  wings  when  folded,  and  separated  from  the  primaries  by  a  glossy, 
black,  ribbon-like  mark,  formed  by  the  ends  of  the  coverts. 

TAIL — Each  feather  is  irregularly  penciled  with  narrow  bands  of  light 
brown,  and  ending  in  a  broad  black  band,  with  a  wide  edging  of  dull  white 
or  gray.  In  the  female  the  entire  plumage  is  similar  to  that  of  the  male, 
but  the  colors  are  not  so  brilliant  or  clearly  defined,  and  the  edging  of  the 
feathers  is  generally  a  dull  white  or  gray. 

The  Mammoth  Bronze  is  the  hardiest  of  all  turkeys,  and  the  most  ex- 
tensively raised  of  any  breed.  They  are  good  layers,  many  claiming  them 
to  lay  over  100  eggs  in  one  season.  However,  there  are  exceptions  in  all 
things,  but  it  is  no  unusual  occurrence  for  a  turkey  hen  to  lay  fifty  eggs 
during  hatching  season,  say  from  April  1st  to  July  1st.  Most  turkeys  do 
not  lay  after  the  1st  of  July. 

To  get  the  best  results  in  mating  and  breeding  turkeys  the  most  im- 
portant factor  is  the  relations  of  the  breeding  stock,  which  should  be 
strong,  vigorous  birds  of  both  sexes,  as  we  get  enough  weak  turkeys  with- 
out breeding  for  them.  So  if  strong,  healthy  turkeys  are  to  be  expected, 
we  must  breed  from  the  most  selected  stock  that  can  be  found.  I  am  a 
lover  of  the  bronze  turkey.  They  are  the  largest  breed  of  turkeys  found 
and  the  most  profitable,  I  think,  of  any  turkey  one  can  raise,  although  I 
have  been  raising  the  white  turkey  for  several  years,  as  my  neighbors  were 
raising  the  bronze  birds,  and  I  have  had  good  success.  Select  the  breed 
that  suits  you  best,  then  you  will  be  more  apt  to  give  them  better  care  and 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL 


23 


advantages  than  you  would  a  breed  you  do  not  like.  Select  females  with 
good  bone  and  long,  deep  bodies,  with  head  and  wattles  as  red  as  possible, 
as  these  qualities  show  good  health.  Avoid  all  extremes  either  in  over- 
grown or  small,  weak  birds.  Those  who  use  great  extremes  usually  round 
up  in  the  fall  with  very  small  flocks,  while  those  who  use  better  judgment 
in  selecting  their  breeding  stock  almost  invariably  raise  good  flocks.  Do 
not  allow  your  breeders  to  become  over-fat.  Keep  them  in  good  condition 
and  give  them  plenty  of  exercise.  Turkeys  should  be  allowed  free  range  at 
all  times,  but  keep  them  gentle  and  never  frighten  them.  Teach  them  to 
nest  near  the  house,  if  you^an,  by  building  appropriate  nests  for  them. 


Bronze  Turkeys 


This  can  be  done  by  laying  empty  barrels  in  fence  corners  or  under  hedges 
and  placing  brush  and  limbs  over  them.  Put  some  straw  in  the  barrel  and 
leave  room  for  some  brush  over  the  front  of  the  barrel.  They  like  such  a 
nest  and  think  they  are  hiding  in  a  brush  pile.  If  you  let  your  turkeys  go 
to  the  timber  and  make  their  nest,  the  crows  are  sure  to  rob  their  nests,  or 
the  eggs  will  chill,  for  we  have  some  very  cold  nights  after  the  turkeys  begin 
to  lay  in  the  spring.  If  you  can  induce  them  to  lay  in  the  nests  you  have 
prepared  for  them,  you  can  gather  the  eggs  daily  and  place  them  where 
you  can  turn  them  each  day  until  ready  for  incubation.  Turkey  hens 


24      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

make  splendid  incubators  and  rarely  ever  forsake  the  nest  until  their 
brood  is  out.  I  always  give  my  hens  from  sixteen  to  twenty  eggs  each. 
This,  however,  will  depend  upon  the  size  of  the  hen. 

I  always  let  my  turkeys  raise  their  own  young  as  it  is  their  nature  to 
take  them  into  the  pastures  and  meadows  where  the  insects,  which  fur- 
nish a  great  part  of  their  food,  are  more  plentiful.  Turkeys  raised 
around  the  poultry  yard  are  more  subject  to  disease  than  those  that  run 
at  large.  When  I  raise  turkeys  with  hens  I  feed  them  boiled  milk,  and 
broken  rice  not  cooked,  lettuce  chopped  fine,  a  little  bread  soaked  in  boiled 
milk,  charcoal  and  oyster  shells,  for  the  first  week.  Then  I  begin  to  feed 
a  little  ground  bone;  not  much  at  first;  it  has  a  tendency  to  loosen  the 
bowels.  Feed  them  rice  and  light  bread  till  they  are  three  weeks  old,  then 
you  can  feed  meal,  or  better  still  corn  bread,  but  do  not  stop  the  rice  and 
light  bread  entirely  until  they  get  used  to  the  corn  bread  or  meal.  They 
should  be  fed  three  times  a  day. 

Turkeys  should  not  be  cooped  up  or  compelled  to  roost  on  the  same 
spot  each  night,  unless  the  coop  be  cleaned  every  morning  and  exposed  to 
sun  and  wind  so  it  will  be  perfectly  dry  by  night.  When  large  enough  to 
fly  up  into  trees,  or  on  roosts,  begin  to  feed  them  cracked  corn,  wheat  and 
soaked  oats.  When  the  nights  grow  cold  in  the  fall  insects  begin  to  die, 
consequently  you  will  have  to  feed  the  turkeys  more  grain  if  you  want  nice 
plump  fowls  to  put  on  the  market  at  Thanksgiving.  A  great  many  times 
in  the  fall  of  the  year  you  have  small  potatoes  that  are  not  marketable, 
also  cabbage  and  beets,  more  than  you  can  dispose  of.  They  are  excellent 
to  feed  to  your  turkeys.  Boil  the  potatoes  and  beets,  but  the  cabbage  can 
be  fed  raw. 

Sprinkle  a  little  sulphur  over  your  turkeys  at  night,  if  you  have  them 
in  a  coop.  The  lice  will  not  bother  so  much  if  you  do  this. 


Culture  of  Geese 

Goose  eggs  do  not  hatch  -well  in  an  incubator, 

THE  Toulouse  geese  are  the  most  profitable  to  raise;  they  are  -an  En- 
glish breed.    The  bill  and  feet  are  a  dark  orange  color.     Both  male 
and  female  are  uniform  in  color;  heads,  neck  and  back  a  dark   grey, 
breast  light  grey,  beyond  the  leg  to  the  tail  they  are  pure   white.    They 
grow  very  l^rge  and  live  to  a  great  old  age.    Goose  raising  is  very  profit 
able  if  one  will  manage  it  right,  for  they   need  no  grain  in  summer,  but 
they  must  have  plenty  of  grass.     If  one  would  fence  off  an   acre  for  geese 
you  would  be  surprised  how  many  you  could   raise  on   that  one  acre.      I 
always  set  goose  eggs  under  hens;   they  hatch  better  than  with  geese.     I 
never  pick  my  geese  in  the  laying  season,  but  I    pick   the  ganders  all   the 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL 


25 


year  round.  I  pick  the  geese  in  fall  and  early  winter  but  not  after  Feb- 
ruary. In  early  spring  when  there  is  no  grass  I  use  alfalfa  meal  or  cut 
clover  to  feed  the  goslings;  they  will  not  live  without  green  stuff  of  some 
sort.  Lettuce  is  fine  for  geese,  but  it  takes  lots  of  it.  I  used  to  plant  a 
little  lettuce  in  a  box  in  the  window  in  the  early  spring  to  feed  to  my  early 
goslings;  they  liked  it  very  much  and  did  well  on  it.  They  will  not  bear 


Toulouse  Geese 


confinement.  An  orchard  is  a  nice  place  in  which  to  raise  geese.  You 
should  keep  only  what  you  want  for  breeding  purposes  through  the  winter 
for  they  eat  a  great  deal  of  grain  and  are  not  profitable  to  keep  for  their 
feathers  alone.  They  should  be  fed  corn,  oats,  millet,  wheat,  speltz,  or 
anything  that  will  fatten  them  quickly  in  the  fall,  then  put  them  on  the 
market  just  as  soon  as  you  think  the  price  will  justify  you  to  do  so.  As 
soon  as  grass  is  gone  they  are  very  expensive  for  they  will  eat  all  of  the 
time  if  they  can  get  food,  so  the  sooner  you  dispose  of  your  surplus  the 
better.  The  Jews  are  very  fond  of  goose  meat  and  they  use  the  oil  for 
cooking  the  same  as  we  do  lard,  consequently  geese  command  a  better 
price  if  they  are  quite  fat. 


26 


HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 


Barred  Plymouth  Rocks 

This  breed  is  as  solid  as  its  name;  they  stand  acknowledged  as  the  best 
general  purpose  fowl  in  the  world  today;  they  are  quick  to  develop  and 
make  plump,  juicy  broilers  at  the  age  of  eight  and  ten  weeks.  They  are  a 
great  favorite  -with  market  poultrymen  who  breed  this  variety  more  ex- 
tensively than  all  other  breeds  combined.  They  are  excellent  all-the-year- 
round  layers,  and  as  a  fancier's  fowl  have  reached  a'popularity  never  before 
known. 


CHICKS  FKOM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL 


27 


Silver  Laced  Wyandottes 

This  popular  American  breed  is  very  beautiful  as  well  as  profitable, 
and  for  a  table  fowl  are  unexcelled.  They  are  among  the  best  layers,  care- 
ful setters  and  their  flesh  is  fine  grained.  They  are  hardy  and  mature 
early;  have  bright  yellow  legs  and  skin,  and  low  rose  combs;  and  combine 
all  the  good  qualities  of  a  general  purpose  fowl. 


28      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PKEVENT 

Which  is  the  Best  General  Purpose  Fowl? 

1FIND  the  Barred  Plymouth  Rocks  or  the  Silver  Laced  Wyandottes  are 
the  best  for  a  general  purpose  chicken,  where  one  wants  to  keep  only  a 
few.  But  if  it  is  egg  production  you  are  after  and  do  not  care  so  much 
about  the  market  quality  of  the  stock,  I  would  advise  you  to  breed  the 
Single  Comb  or  the  Rose  Comb  Brown  Leghorn.  There  is  no  use  to  look 
any  farther;  they  are  good  enough  and  the  eggs  are  easily  procured  at 
reasonable  figures,  for  so  many  people  all  over  the  country  are  raising 
them.  They  are  hardy  and  do  not  require  more  than  half  the  feed  that 
the  larger  breeds  do.  I  intend  to  lay  in  a  supply  of  thoroughbred  Plymouth 
Rocks  and  Leghorns  this  coming  season  and  will  try  to  supply  my  patrons 
with  thoroughbred  stock  at  more  reasonable  prices  than  they  can  procure 
them  elsewhere. 


Feeding  Hens  for  Egg  Production  in  Winter 

TO  do  this  you  must  commence  in  the  previous  spring.  Plant  beets, 
carrots,  onions,  turnips,  cabbage,  potatoes,  squashes,  pumpkins, 
wheat,  corn,  oats,  speltz  and  millet.  You  may  think  this  is  more  of 
a  variety  than  is  necessary,  but  it  is  not.  You  must  study  what  is  required 
for  egg  production  in  summer,  and  make  the  conditions  in  winter  as  near 
like  those  of  the  warmer  months  as  possible.  You  will  have  to  have  char- 
coal, alfalfa  and  clover  meal  to  take  the  place  of  grass;  crushed  oyster 
shells  and  air-slacked  lime  to  make  egg  shells;  broken  dishes  or  crockery 
to  make  a  sharp  grit  to  grind  their  food.  If  you  can  get  good  sharp  grit  or 
gravel  it  will  do  just  as  well,  but  we  often  forget  to  lay  in  a  supply  till 
after  the  ground  is  frozen,  then  we  cannot  get  it.  But  the  hen  must  get 
something  of  the  sort,  or  they  will  have  indigestion,  and  your  chickens  will 
droop  and  die.  Broken  dishes  make  a  good  substitute  for  grit.  It  should 
be  broken  up  into  pieces  about  the  size  or  a  little  smaller  than  grains  of 
corn. 

This  is  how  I  feed  my  hens  for  egg  production  in  winter,  and  have 
obtained  good  results:  I  feed  corn  in  the  morning,  then  about  ten  o'clock  I 
feed  them  a  mash  consisting  of  boiled  potatoes,  chopped  onions,  alfalfa 
meal,  charcoal,  bran,  shorts  and  oil  meal.  I  give  them  this  mash  every 
morning.  About  twice  or  three  times  a  week,  I  feed  a  little  ground  bone 
and  blood  meal  in  their  mash.  I  give  them  baked  squash,  beets  or  pump- 
kin about  three  times  a  week.  At  about  one  o'clock  each  day  I  feed  them 
oats  that  have  been  scalded;  at  about  four  o'clock  I  feed  corn  again.  I  give 
plenty  of  warm  water,  with  a  little  sulphate  of  iron  (copperas)  in  it;  this 
keeps  them  healftiy.  Now  you  will  think  this  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  but 
if  you  will  watch  your  hens  after  feeding  them  their  mash  and  see  how 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL          29 

they  relish  it  and  how  happy  they  seem,  it  will  pay  you  for  all  your  trpuble. 
Besides,  you  will  have  the  satisfaction  of  getting  a  nice  lot  of  eggs  at  the 
time  of  year  when  prices  are  the  highest.  I  am  now  selling  eggs  at  twenty - 
five  cents  per  dozen;  that  would  be  $7.50  a  case.  Do  you  not  think  that 
price  will  justify  you  in  giving  your  chickens  a  little  more  attention? 

You  must  have  warm  houses  for  your  chickens.  I  think  every  hen 
house  should  be  lathed  and  plastered,  which  keeps  out  the  wind  and  snow, 
and  your  hens  will  soon  pay  for  the  expense  of  plastering.  I  parch  corn 
for  them  two  or  three  times  a  week.  It  takes  but  a  moment  to  put  it  in 
the  oven  and  it  will  be  parched  by  the  time  you  have  your  work  done,  so 
there  is  no  time  lost.  I  never  feed  frozen  corn,  but  I  take  it  into  the  house 
until  the  frost  is  out  of  it,  or,  still  better,  warm  it.  Always  salt  the  mash 
a  little.  Chickens  as  well  as  animals  require  salt. 

If  your  hens  lay  in  winter  you  can  set  your  incubator  so  much  earlier 
in  the  spring.  I  have  all  my  brooder  houses  plastered.  One  can  rid  their 
houses  of  lice  and  mites  much  easier  when  the  houses  are  plastered  than 
when  they  are  only  boarded  up. 


Mrs.  Johnson's  Method  of  Forcing  a  Molt 

TO  THE  FANCIER:    When  a  specialty  is  made  of  producing   winter 
eggs,    or    preparing  fowls    for    exhibitions,  it  is    of  much  import- 
ance to  have  your  fowls  shed  their  feathers  early  so   that  the  new 
plumage  may  be  grown  before  the  fairs,   and  poultry  shows,   and  cold 
weather  begins.     In  case  molting  is  much  delayed   the  production  of  the 
new  coat  of  feathers  in  cold  weather  is  such  a  drain  on  the  vitality  of  the 
fowls  that  few  if  any  eggs  are  produced  until  spring,  while  if  the  molt  takes 
place  early  in  the  season  your  fowls  begin   winter  in  good  condition,   and 
with  proper  housing  and  feeding  may  be   made  to  lay  during  the  entire 
winter. 

I  have  tried  the  Van  Dresser  method  of  promoting  early  molting,  with 
results  that  were  not  very  satisfactory.  I  was  anxious  to  get  the  full  bene- 
fit of  a  quick  molt,  so  I  fed  my  fowls  very  sparingly  of  oats,  corn  and  speltz 
for  about  two  weeks.  I  did  not  give  them  any  green  cut  bone,  or  milk, 
which  is  the  best  egg  producing  food  that  can  be  fed  to  poultry.  The  con- 
sequence was,  during  the  first  week  of  the  starving  process,  the  hens 
stopped  laying  entirely,  though  they  had  been  laying  over  300  eggs  a  day. 
After  two  weeks,  I  put  them  on  full  feed  again.  I  suppose  I  gave 
them  too  much  on  the  start,  for  some  became  crop-bound,  some  had  bowel 
trouble,  others  indigestion,  and  the  consequence  was,  I  lost  several  of  my 
nicest  hens.  They  molted  all  right,  but  it  was  three  months  before  they 
commenced  to  lay  again.  Some  did  not  lay  any  until  the  next  spring. 


30      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

Well,  as  the  method  of  stuffing  and  starving  was  not  satisfactory,  I  began 
to  investigate.  I  read  every  article  1  could  on  how  to  force  a  quick  molt, 
but  all  the  papers  and  poultry  journals  advocated  the  starving  and  heavy 
feeding  process.  I  finally  thought  of  a  method  that  I  believed  would  work 
and  resolved  to  try  it  at  once.  I  took  about  fifteen  hens  and  picked  them. 
The  result  was  charming.  You  fanciers  will  hail  me  with  a  cheer  when 
you  read  this  article.  I  plucked  the  body  feathers  first,  then  just  as  soon 
as  the  feathers  began  to  come  in,  which  was  in  about  ten  days,  I  plucked 
their  wings  and  tail.  By  the  time  the  wings  began  to  grow,  the  feathers 
on  each  side  of  the  birds  were  large  enough  to  support  the  wings.  Within 
six  weeks  they  had  an  entire  new  coat  of  feathers,  and  the  most  of  them 
were  laying  eggs.  Then  I  was  provoked  that  I  did  not  pluck  the  whole 
flock.  This  beats  any  method  of  forcing  a  molt  that  I  ever  heard  of.  It  is 
more  effectual,  that  is  one  thing  certain.  Your  fowls  have  not  been  weak- 
ened by  starving,  but  are  in  good  shape  to  make  a  new  coat  of  feathers  at 
once.  You  must  feed  plenty  of  milk  and  green  cut  bone  once  a  day  for  two 
weeks  if  you  can  possibly  get  it.  If  green  bone  cannot  be  obtained,  meat 
scraps  or  cracklings  will  do,  mixed  with  a  mash  consisting  of  bran  shorts, 
alfalfa  meal,  charcoal,  corn  meal,  oil  meal,  boiled  potafoes,  squash  or  any- 
thing that  they  will  eat,  but  they  should  have  a  variety.  Mix  their  mash 
with  milk  if  you  have  it.  After  two  weeks,  feed  this  mash  three  times  a 
week.  Sometimes  your  hens  will  commence  to  lay  before  they  are  full 
feathered,  under  this  treatment. 

Fanciers  that  are  preparing  their  birds  for  an  exhibit  should  pluck 
them  at  least  two  months  before  they  place  them  on  exhibition.  They  will 
have  an  entire  new  coat  of  feathers  and  they  will  score  much  higher  as  they 
will  be  in  good  condition,  the  feathers  will  be  more  even  and  the  markings 
or'colors  will  be  more  uniform  by  their  all  coming  in  at  once  than  if  al- 
lowed to  drop  out  and  come  in  one  at  a  time.  This  sounds  reasonable,  does 
it  not?  It  does  not  hurt  your  fowls  to  pluck  them  when  the  feathers  are 
ripe  and  ready  to  come  out  at  a  touch,  not  a  bit  more  than  it  does  a  duck 
or  a  goose.  Then  why  not  aid  nature  at  this  period? 

After  your  fowls  have  gone  through  my  method  of  forcing  a 
molt,  and  begin  to  wear  their  new  winter  dress,  their  combs  and 
wattles  become  red  just  like  they  do  in  the  spring.  They  do  not  stand 
around  all  humped  up  for  three  months  like  they  do  if  their  feathers  are 
left  to  come  out  of  their  own  accord.  They  act  like  they  were  afraid  of 
themselves  for  a  few  days,  but  soon  come  to  the  front  for  something  to  eat. 
If  the  feathers  do  not  seem  matured,  and  the  skin  bleeds,  let  those  go  till  a 
little  later  in  the  season.  July  is  the  best  time  to  pick  your  fowls,  for  the 
weather  is  warm  and  there  will  not  be  so  much  danger  of  them  taking  cold. 
Do  not  pick  them  on  a  rainy  day.  If  fanciers  would  pluck  their  fowls  just 
as  soon  as  they  are  ready  in  July,  then  they  will  be  in  prime  condition  to 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  31 

place  on  exhibition  in  September.  That  is  about  the  time  that  fairs  and 
poultry  shows  commence.  Put  a  little  gasoline  on  a  rag  and  rub  over  your 
fowls  every  morning  while  on  exhibition;  it  will  make  their  plumage  shine 
so  nice,  and  keep  the  lice  from  coming  over  on  a  visit  from  their  next  door 
neighbor. 

I  find  another  advantage  in  plucking  my  fowls  in  July.  Eggs  are 
cheaper  then  than  most  any  time  during  the  year.  Then  you  will  get  eggs 
when  prices  rule  the  highest.  This  is  the  most  pleasing  and  profitable 
part  of  it  all,  for  those  who  keep  poultry  for  egg  production.  This  year  I 
plucked  all  of  my  chickens.  I  am  getting  an  abundance  of  eggs  and  sell- 
ing them  on  the  market  for  twenty-five  cents  per  dozen.  I  did  not  get  any 
eggs  last  year  at  this  time  except  from  the  hens  I  had  picked  in  July. 
Then  I  resolved  to  pick  them  all  the  next  year,  which  I  did  with  the  above 
results. 

Try  this  method  of  forcing  a  molt,  dear  reader,  and  you  will  find  that 
your  fowls  will  enter  the  winter  in  better  condition  than  fowls  that  have 
been  starved  to  produce  an  early  molt.  Do  not  fail  to  give  them  a  tonic  in 
their  drinking  water.  Give  good  sharp  grit.  Here  is  where  we  often  make 
a  mistake.  When  the  ground  is  snow-covered  the  fowls  cannot  get  grit  un- 
less we  have  prepared  it  for  them,  and  we  often  forget  it  until  the  ground 
is  frozen  and  then  we  cannot  procure  it.  Broken  glass  or  chinaware  makes 
a  good  substitute  for  grit. 

I  saved  all  the  nice  clean  feathers  that  I  picked  from  my  chickens 
and  made  pillows  to  lie  on  the  porch  for  the  men  to  use  while  taking  a  rest 
at  noon.  It  is  a  great  deal  nicer  to  use  them  in  this  way  than  to  have 
them  scattered  all  over  the  poultry  yards. 


The  White  of  the  Egg  Makes  the  Chick 

During  incubation  the  chick  derives  its  nourishment  from  the  white 
of  the  egg  and  not  the  yolk.  The  yolk  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  forma- 
tion of  the  chick,  but  is  the  nutritious  food  which  the  newly  hatched  chick 
draws  upon  for  sustenance  during  its  early  stages  of  existence.  Conse- 
quently the  chick  requires  no  food  until  from  twenty-four  to  thirty-six 
hours  after  being  hatched.  A  chick  can  live  without  food  for  six  days. 

IF  FERTILE  EGGS  ARE  WANTED — If  fertile  eggs  are  wanted  you  should 
have  at  least  one  cockerel  to  twelve  hens  of  the  heavy  breeds,  but  one 
cockerel  to  fifteen  hens  of  the  light  weights,  such  as  the  Leghorns  and 
Minorcas,  are  sufficient;  they  are  a  smaller  fowl,  but  they  have  more  vi- 
tality than  the  larger  breeds. 


32       HOW  TO  HATCH,  BKOOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 


Find  a  Good  Market  and  Meet  Its  Demands 

THERE  is  one  thing  that  is  of  as  great  importance  in  the  business  of 
raising  poultry  as  the  feeding,  breeding  and  management  of  the 
flock;  it  is  the  business  of  finding  a  good  market  and  preparing  the 
fowls  for  that  market.  It  is  true  that  anything  that  is  well  raised  is 
half  sold,  but  to  say  that  anything  is  half  sold  is  only  half  enough.  We 
should  be  able  to  say  that  our  stock  is  well  fed,  properly  fitted  and  well 
sold.  When  we  are  able  to  reach  this  stage  of  the  game  then  we  are  in  a 
position  to  state  what  the  possibilities  of  the  business  are.  Remember 
that  desirable  goods  always  sell  easiest.  When  market  prices  are  ruling 
low,  it  is  the  best  that  obtains  fair  prices,  while  the  culls  are  held  over. 
The  undesirable  stuff  should  not  be  put  upon  the  market;  it  will  lower  the 
standard  of  your  better  stuff.  Keep  the  culls  at  home,  feed  them  ^  up  and 
eat  them,  or  sell  on  the  home  market,  but  do  not  ship  them.  This  is  not  a 
matter  of  theory  to  be  written  on  paper  and  to  be  read  so  as  to  enthuse 
people,  but  it  should  be  put  into  practice,  and  those  who  put  it  into  prac- 
tice soonest  will  be  the  ones  to  make  business  a  success.  In  every  market 
there  are  those  who  follow  out  these  lines  and  the  poultry  buyers  know 
them,  and  their  goods  are  always  satisfactory  and  in  demand.  Markets, 
as  well  as  how  to  raise  poultry,  should  be  studied.  This  is  a  matter  that 
has  more  importance  attached  to  it  than  it  is  given  credit  for.  Study  the 
markets  and  try  to  meet  them. 


How  to  Prepare  Young  Cockerels  for  Market 

IT  is  a  waste  of  food  to  keep  young  cockerels  after  they  weigh  three  or 
four  pounds  each,  as  they  are  sold  as  "old  roosters"  after  their  combs 
grow.  In  the  market,  old  roosters  bring  from  three  to  five  cents  per 
pound,  while  young  ones  often  sell  from  fifteen  to  twenty  cents  per  pound. 
The  best  way  to  prepare  young  cockerels  for  the  market  is  to  separate 
them  from  the  hens.  Nearly  every  one  has  an  old  building  of  some  kind 
they  do  not  use  in  summer.  That  will  do  to  put  them  in.  Peed  them  soft 
feed,  such  as  meal,  potatoes  and  bran  mixed  in  a  mash,  salt  this  a  little 
and  you  will  be  surprised  how  much  they  will  gain  in  two  weeks.  It  will 
pay  you  to  try  it.  Give  them  some  green  food,  such  as  lettuce  or  cabbage. 
They  must  have  plenty  of  grit  and  pure,  fresh  water,  or  sweet  skimmed 
milk  is  better.  They  will  grow  as  fast  as  capons  and  be  ready  for  the  mar- 
ket in  two  or  three  weeks,  I  think  that  caponizing  is  a  cruel  practice  and 
is  unnecessary. 


CHICKS  FKOM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL 


33 


Single  Comb  Brown  Leghorns 

The  acknowledged  queen  of  the  practical  egg  laying    breeds    is 


the 


Brown  Leghorns  when  judged  by  the  standard  of  the  greatest  number  of 
marketable  eggs  produced  at  least  cost.  Not  only  are  the  hens  persistent 
layers,  but  they  are  extremely  active  foragers  and  waste  no  time  in  setting. 
Like  a  good  milch  cow  they  put  little  fat  upon  their  bones,  but  all  surplus 
nourishment  to  egg  production.  The  cost  of  growing  them  is  compara- 
tively light;  no  more,  perhaps,  than  one-half  that  of  Brahma  or  Cochin. 


34 


HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 


Rose  Comb  Brown  Leghorns 

For  a  handsome  bird  and  for  eg^  producers  the  Leghorn  stands  at  the 
head.  There  is  no  breed  of  fowls  that  lay  so  many  eggs  with  little  feed. 
Both  the  Rose  and  Single  Conab  Leghorn  were  originally  imported  from 
Leghorn,  a  seaport  in  Italy  (hence  their  name.)  The  Rose  and  Single  Comb 
varieties  are  exactly  alike  in  every  respect  except  the  comb.  The  Rose 
Comb  Leghorns  are  of  medium  size,  have  beautiful  gay  plumage,  white 
ear-lobes  and  yellow  legs,  are  symmetrical  in  form  and  very  active  and 
pleasing  in  appearance,  are  very  hardy  and  chicks  are  easily  raised  on  free 
range;  they  are  good  foragers  and  pullets  lay  at  an  early  age. 


CHICKS  FKOM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL          35 

Breeders  and  Success 

THE  requirements  of  pure- bred  poultry  are  constantly  growing  more 
and  more  imperative  owing  to  the  demand  by  the  people  generally, 
the  farmer  as  well  as  the  fancier.  The  tendency  of  competition 
certainly  demonstrates  this  to  be  an  age  of  necessity.  Rewards  are  not  to 
be  accorded  to  the  amount  of  noise  we  make,  but  to  the  quality  of  the  ex- 
hibits; and  certainly  the  more  spirited  the  competition  the  better  must  be 
the  systems  adopted,  the  administrative  ability  of  the  poultry  raiser  being 
put  to  the  test.  Surely  everyone  will  agree  that  the  profits  in  any  business 
are  greater  or  smaller  according  to  the  management  of  that  business,  and 
we  ought  therefore  to  train  ourselves  to  avoid  all  mistakes  and  calamities 
that  have  proved  disadvantageous  to  success. 

One  can  start  now  with  pure-bred  poultry  so  much  cheaper  than  they 
could  a  few  years  ago,  as  so  many  have  them  all  over  the  country  and  you 
can  get  them  by  paying  a  few  cents  more  per  dozen  for  the  eggs. 


Leghorns  Not  Good  Setters 

Leghorns  do  not  make  good  incubators;  they  are  too  nervous.  One 
should  always  keep  some  Plymouth  Rock  hens  to  hatch  their  chicks,  pro- 
vided they  do  not  hatch  by  artificial  incubation. 


Grow  Speltz  for  Your  Poultry 

SPELTZ  is  a  new  grain  from  Russia.  It  has  been  grown  in  the  United 
States  in  a  small  way  for  several  years,  and  each  succeeding  season 
not  only  emphasizes  its  value  as  a  poultry  food,  but  it  is  readily  eaten 
by  all  kinds  of  stock.  It  is  found  to  be  adapted  to  a  wide  range  of  soil  and 
climate;  it  resists  drouth  and  will  thrive  on  poor  lands  and  is  not  readily 
damaged  by  harvest  rains.  It  yields  more  per  acre  than  wheat,  oats,  rye 
or  barley.  We  raised  last  year  sixty  bushels  per  acre.  This  cereal  is  cov- 
ered with  a  shuck  enclosing  two  kernels  that  resemble  wheat  when  the 
shuck  has  been  removed,  but  the  kernel  is  larger,  The  head  is  just  about 
as  long  as  wheat  and  resembles  it  very  much  only  on  speltz  two  kernels 
grow  together  instead  of  one.  It  is  the  very  best  food  for  egg  production 
that  I  have  ever  tried,  except  wheat.  It  is  just  as  good  as  wheat  and  is  a 
great  deal  cheaper,  as  you  can  grow  sb  many  more  bushels  per  acre.  It  is 
a  very  rich  food  and  should  not  be  fed  exclusively.  It  should  be  ground 
for  little  chicks.  « 


36       HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

Recipe  for  Keeping  Eggs 

TO  every  three  gallons  of  water  add  one  pound  of  fresh  slacked    lime 
and  one-half  pint  of  salt.    Have  it  well  dissolved,  drop  in  your  eggs 
one  at  a  time;  mind,  do  not  crack  them.     If  you  wish  to  keep  them 
eight  months  or  a  year,  you  can  do  so,  but  you  must  use  them  or  sell  them 
as  soon  as  taken  out  of  the  water,  or  they  will  spoil.     When  you  have  put 
in  all  you  wish,  take  a  thin  piece  of  board  and  place  on  top  of  the  eggs.  Be 
sure  they  are  all  under  the  brine.    Then  cover  the  board  with  salt.     Now 
place  them  in  a  cool  cellar.     Your  eggs  must  be  strictly  fresh.    It  would  be 
well  to  test  them  to  make  sure.    This  is  a  good  way  to  keep  eggs  for  win- 
ter's high  prices. 


Talk  on  Incubators  and  Brooders 

TRYING  to  save  a  few  dollars  on  the  first  cost  of  an  incubator  often 
results  in  a  very  large  additional  cost  through  failure  on  the  part  of 
those  so  called  "cheap"  machines  to  hatch  more  than  half  of  the 
eggs,  and  when  the  eggs  are  worth  more  than  the  machine,  which  is  true  in  a 
great  many  cases,  the  spoiling  of  ten  or  twelve  dollars'  worth  of  eggs  for  the 
sake  of  saving  two-or  three  dollars  on  the  first  cost  of  an  incubator  is,  to 
say  the  least,  very  doubtful  economy.  Never  buy  a  machine  just  because 
it  is  cheap.  It  may  cause  you  lots  of  grief  and  many  disappointments.  If 
you  have  never  had  experience  with  incubators  and  do  not  know  how  an 
incubator  should  be  constructed  to  do  good  work,  go  to  or  write  to  some 
one  that  has  had  practical  experience  and  good  success  with  incubators — 
one  in  whom  you  have  confidence  and  can  trust.  Ask  their  advice  before 
purchasing  a  machine,  then  you  will  be  sure  to  get  a  good  one.  Do  not 
buy  a  sixty  or  hundred-egg  incubator.  You  will  have  to  spend  as' much 
time  with  a  small  one  as  you  would  with  a  large  one.  A  large  incubator 
will  cost  you  a  little  more  in  the  start,  but  will  save  you  money  in  the  end, 
for  it  takes  more  oil  to  operate  a  real  small  incubator  than  it  does  a  big 
one.  The  more  eggs  you  have  in  the  incubator  the  more  animal  heat  there 
is,  which  helps  keep  up  the  temperature.  Then  you  will  have  more  to  show 
for  your  three  weeks'  work  if  you  operate  a  150  or  240  incubator.  If 
you  do  not  want  that  many  chicks  at  one  time,  sell  them  to  your  neighbors 
to  help  defray  expenses.  • 

One  should  have  two  brooders  with  each  machine,  because  if  you 
crowd  your  chicks  they  are  more  likely  to  become  diseased  than  when  they 
are  kept  in  small  numbers.  You  will  have  disentery  to  fight  if  you  crowd 
your  chicks.  You  should  have  a  closed  feed  yard,  like  cut  in  this  book,  to 
attach  to  each  brooder,  provided  you  haven't  got  a  brooder  house.  Fifty 
chicks  will  do  better  together  than  100.  It  is  their  nature  to  crowd  just 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  37 

as  close  together  as  they  can,  and  you  are  inviting  disease  when  you  put 
too  many  chicks  in  one  brooder.  Better  put  in  just  a  few  and  raise  them 
all,  than  to  crowd  them  and  lose  the  greater  part  of  them. 


How  to  Build  a  Cheap  Poultry  House 

IN  the  first  place  you  must  keep  your  houses  free  from  vermin,  and  when 
the  nights  begin  to  get  cold  and  stormy,  gather  all  of  your  chickens 
from  the  trees,  sheds  and  out-buildings  into  the  house  you  have  pre- 
pared for  their  winter  quarters.  This  house  should  be  warm  and  roomy 
with  windows  to  give  light  and  sunshine.  If  you  are  a  renter  and  haven't 
a  warm  house  for  your  poultry,  and  the  landlord  does  not  feel  disposed  to 
build  one  for  you,  you  can  make  a  very  comfortable  house  with  a  very 
little  labor  and  no  expense  to  speak  of.  If  you  offer  to  do  the  work  the 
landlord  will  surely  furnish  the  material.  Pick  out  the  location  and  meas- 
ure off  the  ground  the  size  you  want  to  build  your  house.  Then  set  two 
rows  of  posts  three  feet  apart,  nail  on  some  poles  or  old  boards,  then  pack 
with  straw,  tramp  it  down  hard  so  that  the  wind  can  not  come  through; 
lay  poles  over  the  top  and  cover  deep  with  straw  or  hay.  Put  enough  on 
to  shed  the  rain;  put  your  window  and  door  in  the  south  side,  and  you  will 
find  you  have  a  very  comfortable  house  for  your  poultry.  If  the  mites 
bother  in  summer,  just  throw  out  the  straw  packing  and  fill  with  new;  burn 
the  straw  you  take  out  so  as  to  destroy  the  mites.  Sprinkle  Lice  Killer  all 
over  the  house  and  paint  the  roosts  with  it  several  times  during  the  sum- 
mer and  you  will  have  no  trouble.  Whitewash  your  nests  with  lime  and 
sprinkle  air-slacked  lime  over  the  floor  of  your  hen  house.  It  will  keep 
your  fowls  healthy  and  help  to  rid  your  house  of  mites  and  lice.  There  is 
no  one  plan  that  could  be  given  to  build  a  good  poultry  house  that  would 
suit  everyone.  It  will  depend  entirely  on  the  location  and  the  pocketbook. 
The  papers  are  full  of  plans.  Pick  out  one  that  suits  your  demands  and 
means,  but  plaster  the  house  by  all  means. 


Poultry  Industry 

IT  is  possible  that  if  an  accurate  census  of  poultry    and    eggs    could    be 
taken  it  would  be  found  that  the  value  thereof  would  exceed  $300,000,- 
000.    This  throws  the  "fancy"   part  far  into   the    shade.    The    great 
trainloads  of  poultry  and  eggs  going  to  the  large  cities  are  what  show   the 
magnitude  of  the  poultry  interests.    Then  there  is  alsoj;he  large  number 
of  eggs  used  in  the  arts.     In  the  face  of  a  great  array  of  figures  and   facts, 
let  the  poultry  business  have  its  proper  place,  for  it  is    the    rival   of    any 
other.    Cattle,  horses,  sheep,  swine,  and  even  wheat  are  falling  to  the  rear 
of  poultry. 


38      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 


Buff  Cochins 

These  are  large  massive  fowls,  profusely  feathered,  and  have  a  very 
fine  carriage.  They  are  good  layers,  and  will,  under  favorable  circum- 
stances, compare  with  the  Leghorn  class  for  winter  laying,  while  for  a 
market  fowl  they  far  exceed  them.  Like  all  Asiatics,  they  are  rather  later 
in  maturing  than  those  of  the  American  class.  They  are  heavily  feathered 
and  well  adapted  to  cold  climates.  They  breed  true  to  color  and  are  very 
docile  fowls;  can  be  easily  yarded  by  a  low  fence  and  wire  netting. 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  39 

Bill  for  Closed  Feed  Yard 

One  board  1x10  sixteen  feet  S.  1  S.  for  sides,  cut  in  two. 
Four  boards  ten-inch  shiplap  sixteen  feet,  for  floors  and  sheeting. 
One  board  ten-inch  shiplap  12  feet,  for  ends. 
One  board  1x14  eight  feet  long  S.  2  S.,  for  door. 
One  board  1x6  eight  feet,  above  the  door  to  receive  hinges. 
Two  pairs  three-inch  strap  hinges,   three  for   top  door  and  one  for 
little  door. 

Three  window  panes  7x14.    Place  these  in  the  top  door. 
One  piece  of  sheet  iron  eight  feet  long,  for  covering. 

This  size  feed  yard  will  accommodate  as  many  chicks  as  you  would  dare 
put  in  one  brooder.  If  you  use  a  small  brooder,  say  fifty  or  seventy-five 
chick  capacity^  you  can  make  a  smaller  feed  yard,  say  one-half  as  large. 

On  a  great  many  farms  one  can  find  enough  short  pieces  of  boards  to 
make  a  part  of  this  feed  yard,  such  as  sheeting,  ends  and  floor.  The  floor 
can  be  made  of  short  pieces  of  common  boards,  put  in  crosswise  instead  of 
lengthwise,  and  stripped  to  keep  out  the  cold.  It  does  not  need  to  be  very 
high.  Put  a  piece  of  oilcloth  over  the  crack  of  the  door  and  under  the 
sheet  iron  to  shed  the  rain.  Tack  this  oilcloth  to  door  and  under  sheet 
iron.  (See  cut.)  This  brooder  attachment,  or  closed  feed  yard,  is  the  finest 
thing  I  have  ever  used.  It  is  a  creation  of  my  own,  and  it  does  away  with 
the  expense  of  a  brooder-house.  Your  chicks  do  better  and  are  more  com- 
fortabl.e  than  they  would  be  in  a  large  brooder-house,  the  expense  is  noth- 
ing compared  to  that  of  a  building  of  that  kind  and  it  will  accommodate  as 
many  chicks  as  you  would  dare  put  in  one  brooder.  It  is  3x8  feet,  ten 
inches  high  and  you  can  attach  it  to  any  brooder.  It  does  not  take  so  much 
capital  to  start  in  the  poultry  business  when  a  closed  feed  yard  is  used  in- 
stead of  a  brooder-house. 

You  should  place  the  feed,  water  and  chaff  in  the  feed  yard  instead  of 
the  brooder,  then  your  brooder  will  never  get  sour,  which  invites  disease. 
The  feed  yard  is  very  easily  cleaned.  You  run  the  little  chicks  in  the 
brooder,  providing  it  is  too  cold  to  let  outside,  then  clean  the  feed  yard 
with  a  broom.  In  five  minutes  time  you  can  clean  it.  Sprinkle  a  little 
air-slacked  lime  on  the  floor  while  it  is  damp,  sweep  it  around  a  little. 
This  will  answer  for  a  whitewashing  and  keeps  the  feed  yard  sweet  and 
kills  any  disease  germs  that  may  be  lurking  there.  I  also  clean  my  brooders 
in  the  same  way.  I  burn  sulphur  in  the  brooders  and  feed  yards  twice  a 
week. 

The  feed  yard,  likewise  the  brooders,  should  be  covered  with  sheet  iron, 
for  your  chicks  must  be  kept  dry.  If  they  are  covered  with  sheet  iron  or 
tin,  it  doesn't  matter  what  kind  of  weather  we  have,  they  are  perfectly  safe 
for  days.  I  have  kept  my  chicks  in  the  brooder  and  feed  yard  for  twp 


40      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

weeks  in  bad  weather,  and  they  were  as  comfortable  as  could  be.  They 
are  safe  from  vermin,  too,  for  nothing  can  get  into  this  roosting  place. 
One  great  advantage  in  having  a  feed  yard  is,  the  chicks  have  so  much 
room,  and  the  stronger  ones  do  not  trample  the  weak  ones  to  death  as  they 
would  if  confined  in  the  brooder  any  length  of  time.  I  never  let  my  chicks 
out  in  the  morning  until  the  dew  is  all  off  the  grass.  I  place  the  water  and 
feed  in  the  closed  feed  yard  in  the  evening,  after  the  chicks  have  gone  to 
roost  in  the  brooder.  I  sweep  the  feed  yard  first,  if  it  needs  it,  place  food, 
put  more  chaff  and  grit  in,  then  close  the  door  until  morning.  All  I  have 
to  do  in  the  morning  is  to  open  the  little  door  between  the  feed  yard  and 
the  brooder,  and  let  my  chicks  out  into  the  feed  yard  to  their  feed.  I  turn 
up  the  flame  of  the  brooder  lamp  a  little,  so  it  will  make  it  more  comforta- 
ble in  the  feed  yard,  then  I  go  about  my  work  and  do  not  pay  any  more  at- 
tention to  them  until  after  the  sun  comes  out  warm  and  the  dew  is  all  gone, 
when  I  open  the  feed  yard  door  and  let  them  out.  That  is  why  I  can  raise 
so  many  chickens.  This  feed  yard  saves  so  much  time;  it  is  fine  to  put 
your  chicks  in  after  you  wean  them  from  the  brooder.  It  is  large  and  can  ac- 
commodate almost  a  hundred  grown  fowls.  In  early  spring  I  sometimes  place 
a  jug  of  hot  water  in  the  feed  yard  early  in  the  morning,  but  this  is  not 
necessary  only  in  cold  weather.  You  should  have  two  feed  yards  to  each 
brooder,  so  you  can  use  one  for  your  three- weeks-old  chicks  that  you  have 
just  taken  from  the  brooder,  to  roost  in  so  you  can  have  the  brooder  for  the 
next  hatch.  Be  sure  to  close  the  little  door  between  the  feed  yard  and 
brooder  at  night  so  that  the  heat  may  be  all  retained  in  the  brooder  to 
keep  the  chicks  comfortable.  This  feed  yard  and  brooder  can  be  moved  to 
any  part  of  the  farm  in  just  a  few  minutes.  Sometimes  it  becomes  neces- 
sary to  move  your  chicks,  so  as  to  avoid  disease.  For  the  health  of  your 
flock,  your  brooder  should  be  moved  to  a  clean  place  often.  Choose  a  nice 
grassy  spot  if  possible.  ^An  orchard  is  a  fine  place  and  gives  the  necessary 
shade,  which  is  very  essential  for  the  welfare  of  your  little  chicks  in 
extreme  warm  weather. 


Feed  Yard  and  Brooder— Open. 


Feed  Turd  and  Brooder — Closed. 


Diseases  and  Their  Remedies 


Mrs.  Johnson's  Poultry  Compound 

Sure  Cure  for  Bowel  Trouble  in 
Brooder  Chicks 

1HAVB  experimented  for  years  to  produce  a  remedy  that  would  be  a 
sure  cure  for  bowel  trouble  in  brooder  chicks.  Bowel  trouble  kills 

more  chicks  from  ten  days  to  four  weeks  old  than  die  from  any  other 
cause.  I  have  at  last  succeeded  in  producing  a  compound  that  is  the  best 
and  cheapest  of  any  remedy  ever  placed  upon  the  market.  It  is  not  only  a 
cure  for  bowel  trouble,  but  it  will  cure  roup,  swelled  heads  and  eyes,  dysen- 
tery, crop-bound,  leg  weakness,  cholera,  and  in  fact  every  disease  common 
among  poultry;  it  will  also  keep  your  fowls  in  good  condition,  stimulate  egg 
production,  and  for  molting  fowls  it  is  indispensible.  This  is  a  critical  time 
and  fowls  should  have  some  kind  of  tonic  to  assist  nature  at  this  period. 
This  compound  is  also  good  for  wire  cuts,  sore  shoulders  and  itch  in  horses 
and  will  cure  foot  rot  in  cattle;  we  use  it  for  chapped  hands,  cold  sores,  cuts 
and  bruises  with  good  results. 

I  hatch  and  raise  chickens  by  the  thousands;  have  hatched  as  many  as 
1,087  chicks  in  one  day.  You  can  do  the  same,  dear  reader,  by  the  help  of 
this  book,  my  Compound,  good  incubators,  good  brooders  and  good  feed 
yards. 

There  are  so  many  fakes  in  the  world  that  I  do  not  wonder  if  you  doubt 
me  capable  of  doing  all  I  claim,  but  no  one  can  give  better  references  than 
these:  State  Bank  of  Maxwell,  Maxwell,  Iowa;  editor  of  Maxwell  Tribune, 
Maxwell,  Iowa;  First  National  Bank,  Nevada,  Iowa;  editor  Nevada  Repre- 
sentative, Nevada,  Iowa.  These  people  have  known  me  nearly  all  their 
lives.  Write  them. 

If  you  bought  this  compound  of  companies  that  make  a  business  of 
putting  up  compounds,  the  amount  I  will  sell  you  for  fifty  cents  would 
cost  you  just  $4.00,  for  they  put  it  up  in  liquid  form  and  sell  it  for  fifty 
cents  a  pint. 

Directions  for  Preparing  Compound 

To  one  50  cent  package  of  Mrs.  Johnson's  Poultry  Compound  add  four 
quarts  of  water,  after  the  compound  is  all  dissolved  then  bottle  it  up  and 
it  is  ready  for  use. 


42      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

Directions  for  Using— For  a  tonic  to  keep  your  poultry  in  good  con- 
dition and  stimulate  egg  production  one  teaspoonful  to  two  quarts  of 
water;  for  sick  chicks  one  teaspoonful  to  one  quart  of  water,  if  the  chicks 
are  very  sick  one  teaspoonful  to  one  pint  of  water;  fowls  with  swelled  heads 
and  eyes,  put  one  teaspoonful  in  one  pint  of  water,  wash  their  heads  all 
over  good  and  remove  the  matter  from  their  eyes,  put  some  of  the  liquid 
in  their  eyes  after,  being  reduced.  Repeat  this  three  times  a  day  till  they 
are  well.  Put  some  of  the  Compound  in  every  thing  you  feed  them,  also 
in  the  drink  you  give  them,  whether  milk  or  water;  use  a  different  cloth 
for  washing  each  fowl,  then  burn  it,  this  will  prevent  spreading  disease. 
All  affected  fowls  should  be  separated  from  the  flock.  Roup  is  treated 
in  the  same  way,  only  you  remove  the  cankers  with  a  toothpick,  then  put 
some  of  the  Compound  quite  strong,  but  not  full  strength,  in  their  mouths 
with  a  feather,  if  you  will  commence  in  time  and  go  according  to  direc- 
tions you  will  save  every  fowl.  To  make  a  wash  for  sore  shoulders,  wire 
cuts  and  itch  in  horses  put  one  teaspoonful  of  the  compound  (after  being 
made  into  liquid  according  to  above  directions)  into  a  half  pint  of  water 
and  wash  the  affected  parts  four  or  five  times  a  day;  to  kill  proud  flesh  ap- 
ply the  liquid  full  strength,  with  a  feather,  there  is  nothing  that  will  keep 
down  blood  poison  better  than  this  wash.  For  chapped  hands,  cold  sores, 
cuts  and  bruises  put  one  teaspoonful  of  the  liquid  in  one-half  pint  of 
water,  the  only  objection  to  using  this  wash,  it  stains  the  skin  a  little,  but 
can  be  readily  removed  with  citric  acid  or  lemon  fuice. 

If  you  bought  this  Compound  of  companies  that  make  a  business  of 
putting  up  compounds,  the  amount  I  will  sell  you  for  fifty  cents,  would 
cost  you  just  $4.00,  for  they  put  it  up  in  liquid  form  and  sell  it  for  fifty 
cents  a  pint.  Now,  friends,  to  prove  to  you  that  my  Compound  will  do  all 
I  claim  for  it  and  more,  on  receipt  of  a  stamped  envelope  and  address,  I 
will  send  a  trial  package  of  the  Compound  that  will  make  one  quart  of 
liquid  compound,  then  write  me  the  results,  please.  At  the  price  you 
cannot  afford  to  do  without  this,  it  is  a  whole  apothecary  shop  of  itself,  it 
is  not  only  one  ingredient,  but  many,  that  is  why  it  will  cure  so  many 
different  diseases.  Write  me  today.  I  can  offer  nothing  more  fair. 

MRS.  REBECCA  JOHNSON,  Maxwell,  Iowa. 


Cure  for  Dysentery  in  Chicks 

Cure  for  dysentery  in  chicks:  One  teaspoonful  of  acetate  of  iron,  to  each 
quart  of  water.  Directions  for  using:  One  teaspoonful  to  one  quart  of 
water.  Keep  it  before  the  fowls  as  long  as  they  are  affected. 

Use  the  above  until  you  can  procure  some  of  Mrs.  Johnson's  Com- 
pound, which  is  the  best  thing  you  can  use  for  bowel  trouble  in  brooder 
chicks. 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  43 

A  Good  Tonic  for  Poultry 

Generally  called  Dotiglass  Mixture. 

A  good  and  cheap  tonic  for  chickens  is  composed  of  one  pound  of  cop- 
peras, two  gallons  of  soft  water  and  one  ounce  of  sulphuric  acid,  a  tea- 
spoonful  being  added  to  each  quart  of  drinking  water.  This  should  be 
kept  in  a  jug  and  properly  labeled  "poison." 

Grit  for  Poultry 

Grit  is  absolutely  necessary  for  poultry.  It  should  be  kept  with 
crushed  oyster  shell  and  charcoal  in  boxes  constantly  before  them.  They 
must  have  something  during  confinement  in  bad  weather,  especially,  to  en- 
able them  to  assimilate  their  food.  Broken  crockery  or  china  make  good 
grit  if  gravel  cannot  be  obtained.  Oyster  shell  is  indispensible. 


Dust  Bath 

A  dust  bath  should  be  provided  in  one  corner  of  a  room,  well  supplied 
with  air.  This  bath  should  consist  of  slacked  lime,  ashes,  road  dust,  a 
little  sulphur  and  a  little  lice  killer  sprinkled  over  it. 

Put  one  teaspoonful  of  Mrs.  Johnson's  Compound  in  each  quart  of 
water  and  give  to  chicks  with  dysentery.  It  is  a  good  tonic  at  any  time. 


Over-fat  Fowls 

Do  not  keep  your  breeding  stock  too  fat,  as  the  eggs  from  fat  fowls 
give  poor  hatches.  Give  fowls  plenty  of  exercise.  If  birds  have  free  range 
feed  but  once  a  day;  if  no  range  is  available  feed  fresh,  clean  food  three 
times  a  day  and  feed  plenty  of  green  stuff,  lettuce,  cabbage,  celery,  or  any- 
thing that  they  will  eat.  Give  plenty  of  fresh  water  three  times  a  day. 
Cut  straw,  leaves  or  hay  should  be  thrown  upon  the  floor  to  the  depth  of 
three  or  four  inches  and  in  this  the  food  thrown,  to  encourage  exercise. 


Charred  Bone 

Charred  bone  as  well  as  charred  corn  is  good  for  poultry,  for  the  sake 
of  the  charcoal  it  contains,  which  is  very  beneficial  to  them  in  aiding  diges- 
tion; but  charred  bone  does  not  possess  the  full  value  of  raw  bone  on  ac- 


44      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BKOOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

count  of  the  animal  matter  contained  in  the  latter,  which  is  consumed  in 
the  charring  process.     Fresh  bones  when  ground  are  the  most  valuable. 

Boiled  oats  are  good  for  chickens  in  winter,  especially  if  you  are  feed- 
ing for  egg  production.  It  is  a  good  feed  at  any  time,  much  better  when 
boiled  than  fed  dry. 

Diarrhoea  and  How  to  Treat  It 

Diarrhoea  in  fowls  is  caused  by  worms,  cholera,  indigestion,  lice,  con- 
gestion or  over-feeding. 

TREATMENT — Seek  the  cause  and  remove  it,  if  possible.  A  feed  of  corn 
meal  and  bran,  made  damp  with  a  tea  stewed  from  boiling  white  oak  bark 
or  blackberry  roots  will  usually  allay  the  trouble.  Peed  this  for  several 
days.  Camphor  is  also  good.  I  sometimes  mix  Venetian  red  in  their  feed; 
it  is  a  mineral  and  is  good  for  indigestion.  It  should  be  fed  to  your  hens 
twice  or  three  times  a  week.  Put  Douglass  mixture  in  the  drinking  water 
once  a  day  at  least.  This  is  composed  of  one  pound  of  copperas  to  two  gal- 
lons of  water.  After  this  dissolves  add  one  ounce  of  sulphuric  acid.  Keep 
in  a  jug;  give  a  teaspoonful  in  a  quart  of  water.  (This  receipt  will  be 
found  on  another  page  in  this  book.)  Put  remedy  in  a  jug,  for  the  action 
of  the  acid  on  tin  would  soon  eat  a  hole  through  it.  If  this  does  not  cure 
your  fowls,  write  the  author  of  this  book  for  a  trial  package  of  her  Poultry 
Compound.  An  addressed  and  stamped  envelope  is  all  it  will  cost  you. 


Apoplexy 

This  disease  occurs  among  fowls  that  are  very  fat.  The  heavier  breeds 
are  most  liable  to  suffer.  The  attack  is  sudden,  no  previous  illness  being 
shown.  Fowls  suffering  from  apoplexy  often  drop  from  the  perch  dead,  or 
are  found  dead  on  the  nest  or  expire  from  some  slight  exertion. 

TREATMENT — Cut  down  the  amount  of  food,  especially  fat-forming 
food,  such  as  corn,  and  compel  the  birds  to  take  exercise.  Laxatives  also 
are  of  advantage.  A  dram  of  sulphate  of  soda  dissolved  in  a  small  amount 
of  water  and  used  to  moisten  the  food  for  twenty  to  thirty  chickens  acts 
nicely  as  a  laxative. 

You  will  find  remedies  advertised  in  this  book  that  are  good  for  all 
diseases. 

Globular  salts  in  the  water  once  a  week  will  keep  your  chickens 
healthy.  Look  for  lice  and  mites  every  day.  They  can  soon  get  away  with 
a  brood  of  little  chicks;  they  can  soon  sap  the  vitality  of  your  hens  and 
make  them  an  expense  to  you  instead  of  a  profit. 


CHICKS   FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL 


45 


Black  Langshans 

Langshans  were  originally  imported  from  China  and  are  today  one  of 
the  most  popular  fowls  in  the  Orient.  No  variety  of  fowls  ever  gained  pop- 
ularity faster  since  their  importation^  The  Langshans  are  large,  stylish 
birds,  with  full,  broad  breasts,  small  wings  and  erect,  small  combs;  their 
bright  red  wattles,  ear  lobes  and  combs,  glowing  against  their  glossy  black 
feathers,  form  a  striking  contrast. 


46 


HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 


Light  Brahmas 

The  Light  Brahma,  by  unchallenged  right,  stands  at  the  head  of  all 
thoroughbred  poultry.  During  the  past  thirty  years,  while  other  breeds 
have  had  their  "ups  and  downs,"  the  Light  Brahmas  have  stood  their  own 
ground,  and  today  they  are  as  much  praised  and  as  highly  recommended 
to  the  general  breeder  as  they  were  thirty  years  ago.  Any  breed  that  can 
stand  the  test  of  rivalry  so  long  and  still  continue  to  satisfy  and  please  the 
thousands  breeding  them,  must  have  qualities  of  a  high  order.  They  are 
the  largest  of  all  our  poultry,  and  furnish  more  pounds  of  flesh  and  eggs 
in  twelve  months  than  any  other  breed  of  fowls  on  earth.  When  full 
grown  the  cocks  weigh  twelve  pounds  and  the  hens  ten.  They  are  well 
adapted  for  all  purposes,  and  are  so  gentle,  handsome  and  practical,  one 
cannot  help  but  like  them. 


BRARY 
LEGE  OF 

AGRICULTURE 
Cat. 


CHICKS  FEOM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  47 

Cholera 

SYMPTOMS— The  first  indication  of  disease  may  be  shown  by  the  bird 
appearing  slow  and  indifferent,  remaining  alone,  half  asleep,  with  drooping 
wings.  The  head  is  pale  or  bluish  white.  The  excretions,  which  in  health 
are  white,  are  tinged  with  yellow. 

CAUSES— This  disease  generally  arises  from  filth,  lice,  poor  ventilation, 
over-crowding,  improper  food,  filthy  water,  etc. 

PREVENTION  AND  CURE— Heat  destroys  the  cholera  germ.  If  the  food 
or  drink  be  boiled  and  fed  from  vessels  cleansed  with  boiling  water  it  will 
remove  this  source  of  infection.  All  healthy  birds  should  be  removed  from 
the  infected  pen.  Remove  all  the  droppings  or  other  filth.  Whitewash 
the  house  and  roosts,  cover  the  floor  with  lime  and  ashes;  then  burn  sul- 
phur every  few  days  until  the  disease  disappears.  Keep  the  sick  fowls 
away  from  the  pen  or  house. 

TREATMENT—  Give  a  teaspoonf ul  of  castor  oil  to  each  fowl  and  feed 
just  the  same  as  for  diarrhoea;  give  Douglass  mixture  to  drink;  give  oil 
once  in  two  days. 


Cure  for  Scaly  Legs 

If  your  chickens  have  rough,  scaly  legs,  put  some  kerosene  in  a  can 
and  hold  their  feet  and  legs  in  it  for  about  five  minutes.  If  the  first  appli- 
cation does  not  cure  them  repeat  it  once  or  twice  more  if  necessary.  This 
disease  is  caused  by  a  parasite  and  is  readily  cured  with  kerosene.  You 
can  cure  the  bumble  foot  in  the  same  manner.  The  bumble  foot  causes 
the  feet  to  swell  and  the  fowl  will  get  very  lame  and  will  finally  droop  and 
die  if  not  cured.  It  is  contagious  and  should  be  treated  at  once. 


Crop  Bound 

This  disease  arises  from  taking  too  much  or  too  course  food  into  the 
crop;  it  is  frequently  the  result  of  an  abnormal  appetite  from  deranged  di- 
gestion or  lack  of  variety  of  food. 

TREATMENT — A  little  oil  and  tepid  water  should  be  poured  down  the 
throat  and  the  mass  in  the  crop  kneaded  gently  to  aid  in  breaking  it  up. 
A  small  quantity  of  soda  dissolved  in  water  will  prevent  fermentation  of 
the  food  in  the  crop.  If  the  mass  does  not  leave  the  crop  within  three 
hours,  it  may  be  necessary  to  cut  through  and  remove  the  contents.  Cut 
as  high  as  possible  so  that  the  food  taken  afterwards,  which  should  be  lim- 
ited for  a  few  days,  will  not  escape.  Sew  the  crop  and  skin  separate.  The 


48      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

fowl  will  be  all  right  in  a  few  days.  I  have  often  treated  fowls,  this  way, 
with  good  success.  Feed  plenty  of  crushed  oyster  shell  and  sharp  grit  at 
ail  times.  This  will  prevent  fowls'  crops  from  becoming  bound.  Give  cop- 
peras or  Mrs.  Johnson's  Compound  in  their  water  every  few  days. 


Cure  for  Roup 

The  roup  is  a  very  dangerous  disease,  and  a  hen  with  roup  may  spread 
the  contagion  by  drinking  water  from  the  same  receptacle  as  the  others,  for 
the  exudation  spreads  out  on  the  water.  Hens  sleep  with  their  heads  un- 
der their  wing  and  the  pus  that  comes  from  their  eyes  and  nose  stick 
to  the  small  feathers.  These  come  out  and  other  hens  that  pick  at  the 
feathers  will  get  the  roup.  The  only  way  to  prevent  this  is  to  separate  the 
sick  from  the  well  fowls  and  clean  up  the  coop  thoroughly.  Close  up  all 
the  cracks  as  they  are  a  fruitful  source  of  roup.  In  cold  weather  close 
your  coop  so  that  no  cracks  are  open,  and  when  the  weather  is  warm  keep 
the  door  of  the  coop  wide  open.  The  sick  fowls  must  be  kept  in  a  warm 
place  until  they  recover.  Bathe  their  heads  with  warm  water,  then  grease 
their  heads  and  throat  with  kerosene  and  lard,  equal  parts;  give  each  sick 
fowl  a  teaspoonful  of  castor  oil;  feed  them  a  warm  mash  of  bran,  cut  grass 
or  clover,  meal,  a  little  onion  and  meat  scraps  If  they  are  very  sick  cut 
their  heads  off  and  burn  them;' do  not  throw  their  carcass  where  other  hens 
can  pick  at  them. 

If  the  above  does  not  help  your  fowls,  send  a  stamped  and  addressed 
envelope  for  a  trial  package  of  Mrs.  Johnson's  Poultry  Compound,  or  send 
fifty  cents  and  I  will  send  you  enough  compound  to  make  one  gallon  of 
medicine.  This  compound  I  guarantee  to  cure  roup,  cholera  and  diarrhoea 
in  old  and  young  fowls,  if  given  in  time. 


Poultry  Hints 


Peed  alfalfa  meal  in  winter. 

Air  castles  like  eggs  are  easily  crushed. 

All  classes  of  poultry  are  fond  of  fresh  ground  bone. 

Close  application  to  every  detail  makes  success  sure. 

Grit,  fresh  water  and  bone  meal  for  health  and  eggs. 

Hot,  strong  whitewash  on  a  wall  is  light,  sweet  and  cheap. 

Allowing  the  fowls  to  drink  impure  water  is  inviting  disease. 

Have  all  brood  coops  well  made,  as  they  should  last  for  years. 

In  the  poultry  business,  common  sense  is  the  thing  most  needed. 

The  chick  whose  life  blood  is  being  sucked  by  vermin  cannot  thrive. 

A  saturated  solution  of  boracic  acid  is  good  for  swelled  heads  and  eyes. 

Clean,  dry  quarters  are  needed  for  health  in  summer    as    well    as    in 
winter. 

Raw  corn  meal  mixed  up  with  water  is  not  a   proper    food    for    young 
chicks. 

Scatter  fresh  slacked  lime  liberally  over  the  hen  house;  it   will  aid  in 
preventing  disease. 

Keep  your  poultry  house  clean.    Then  you  will  always  have  healthy 
chickens. 

Plat  perches  are  best,  because  they  are  more  comfortable  for  the  feet 
of  the  fowls. 

Dark-shelled  eggs  have  proved  harder  to  test  for  fertility  than  light- 
shelled  ones. 

Slacked  lime  placed  in  the  drinking  vessels  will  often  cure  the  hens  of 
laying  eggs  shell-less. 

Insect  depredations  are  like  weeds;  they  can  be  kept  in  check   by   pre- 
venting their  getting  a  start. 

Ducks  are  cholera  proof,  roup  proof,  gape  proof  and  hawk   proof,   but 
will  sometimes  die  of  spinal  meningitis  and  paralysis. 


50      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

Always  arrange  the  nests  so  that  the  hens  can  step  in  rather  than 
jump  down;  they  are  apt  to  break  their  eggs  in  jumping  down. 

For  the  good  of  the  flock  remove  any  fowl  that  shows  any  signs  of 
being  sick,  even  if  the  ailment  is  slight;  it  may  save  you  a  lot  of  grief. 

There  is  not  very  much  danger  of  overfeeding  chicks  after  they  are 
four  weeks  old,  but  they  should  be  fed  in  some  place  to  which  laying  hens 
do  not  have  access. 

Remember  to  keep  the  poultry  house  clean  and  free  from  filth  of  all 
kinds.  Filth  is  the  source  of  most  diseases.  Lice  will  account  for  what 
filth  is  not  responsible  for. 

There  is  a  mistake  made  in  buying  extremely  heavy  weights  for  breed- 
ing Select  birds  about  the  standard  weight  for  the  chosen  breed  and  get 
them  thick  fleshed  and  solid. 

Shut  up  the  hen  house  as  tight  as  possible,  occasionally,  and  burn  sul- 
phur in  it;  the  fumes  will  reach  every  crack  and  crevice  and  be  death  to 
disease  and  vermin  hidden  there. 

There  is  no  food  as  corrective  in  the  way  of  a  digestive  that  equals 
charcoal.  It  is  easily  obtained  because  various  forms  of  the  article  may  be 
made  by  the  poultry  raiser  himself. 

Poultry  in  the  orchards,  in  addition  to  thriving  themselves,  are  of 
great  benefit  to  the  orchard  in  that  they  destroy  insects,  bugs  and  worms, 
and  keep  the  trees  in  good  condition. 

The  swill  barrel  and  often  the  slop  pail  have  proved  a  watery  grave  for 
many  a  fine  chick.  Covers  over  them  will  prevent  this.  Moreover,  cov- 
ered barrels  and  pails  attract  less  flies  than  uncovered  ones. 

Incubators  that  have  been  used  all  season  should  receive  a  good,  care- 
ful cleaning  and  be  well  aired  and  sunned  before  storing  away.  If  your 
incubator  is  a  hot  water  machine,  be  sure  the  pipes  are  all  perfectly  dry. 

Do  not  put  a  floor  in  the  poultry  house  if  it  is  possible  to  have  a  per- 
fectly dry  one  without  it.  If  dampness  is  likely  to  get  in,  make  a  cement 
floor  and  keep  it  covered  with  litter  of  some  kind— straw,  leaves  or  hay. 

The  road  to  success  in  poultry  keeping  which  reaches  the  goal  of  profit 
is  not  all  smooth  and  level.  When  the  road  is  most  difficult  the  owners 
must  drive;  for  personal  observation  is  necessary  to  avoid  rocks  that  wreck. 

The  every  day  welfare  of  the  hen  is  a  matter  of  method.  Every  streak 
of  ill  luck  that  has  assailed  your  ambitions  can  be  traced  to  something 
neglected,  and  that  streak  of  ill  luck  can  be  traced  to  ourselves,  but  we  do 
not  like  to  admit  it. 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  51 

Salt  is  an  essential  part  of  the  poultry  ration.  One  of  the  best  ways  to 
give  it  is  to  mix  it  with  soft  food.  In  this  way  it  will  make  the  food  more 
palatable  as  well  as  assist  in  digestion  and  keep  the  hens  in  good  condition. 
A  small  quantity  daily  is  much  better  in  every  way  than  a  large  quantity 
occasionally. 

Always  keep  the  hens  supplied  with  green  food  as  late  in  the  season  as 
it  can  possibly  be  done  by  turning  them  out  to  secure  any  such  that  may 
be  within  their  reach.  When  the  supply  is  failing  put  cabbage  in  the 
poultry  yard.  After  snow  covers  the  ground,  feed  alfalfa  meal,  fine  chaff 
or  sweepings  of  the  hay  loft. 

A  bone  cutter  was  once  thought  a  luxury,  but  is  now  considered  an 
absolute  necessity.  You  can  not  make  a  commercial  success  of  poultry 
without  one.  If  you  feed  green  cut  bone  to  your  fowls,  the  increase  in  the 
egg  product  will  pay  for  a  bone  cutter  in  a  very  short  time,  besides  it  will 
keep  up  the  vitality  of  your  breeding  stock  and  make  more  fertile  eggs. 

Worms  in  the  windpipe  are  the  cause  of  gaps.  One  can  ofttimes  re- 
move them  with  a  horse  hair.  Double  the^horse  hair  and  make  a  loop,  in- 
sert it  into  the  windpipe,  then  draw  it  out,  repeat  this  several  times.  If 
the  worms  are  not  too  far  down  the  windpipe,  you  can  get  them  every  one. 
You  cannot  give  your  fowls  medicine  strong  enough  to  remove  the 
worms  without  injury  to  the  bird. 

There  is  one  valuable  advantage  of  keeping  poultry  on  the  farm  that 
is  generally  overlooked  and  that  is  the  vast  number  of  insects  destroyed 
by  them.  If  you  will  plant  plum  trees  around  your  poultry  house  you  will 
alway  have  plums.  The  hens  destroy  the  larvae  of  insects  that  infest 
plum  trees.  The  trees  furnish  shade  that  is  very  necessary  for  chickens 
in  hot  weather.  You  should  utilize  every  foot  of  ground  in  a  poultry  yard 
for  fruit  trees. 

Dear  reader,  are  you  desirous  of  bettering  your  condition  financially 
and  thus  enjoy  a  little  more  of  this  world's  happiness,  seeing  your  family 
prosperous  and  contented  and  adding  each  day  a  little  more  to  this  world's 
store?  Would  you  like  a  business  in  which  you  can  become  your  own 
master,  direct  your  own  affaire  and  in  short  be  independent?  If  so,  I 
would  advise  you  to  go  into  the  poultry  business.  There  is  more  profit  in 
it  considering  the  money  invested  and  the  labor  required,  than  in  any  other 
enterprise  you  can  engage  in.  It  takes  a  young  fortune  to  equip  yourself 
for  farming,  and  another  fortune  to  pay  rent.  And  what  have  you  left  at 
the  end  of  the  year  after  your  expenses  are  ail  paid?  A  meager  living, 
lost  hopes,  a  discouraged  soul,  and  a  yearning  for  something  better. 


Give  Your  Boys  and  Girls  a  Chance 


Mrs.  Rebecca  Johnson  and  Her  Little  Daughters,   Veta  and  Bessie 
and  their  Ducks. 

THIS  is  the  picture  of  myself  and  two  little  girls,  Veta  and  Bessie,  and 
their  ducks.  Last  spring  my  little  girls  asked  me  if  they  could  raise 
some  ducks  and  have  the  money  they  received  for  them  when  sold, 
for  their  very  own.  They  had  some  money  which  they  had  earned  build- 
ing fires  at  the  school  house,  and  doing  odd  jobs  at  home  for  which  they 
would  receive  a  nickle  or  a  dime.  This  was  all  put  together  in  a  pocket- 
book  which  they  called  their  bank.  In  February  they  sent  an  order  to 
Des  Moines,  for  a  trio  of  Pekin  ducks  for  which  they  paid  $7.00,  includ- 
ing the  freight.  This  they  thought  was  pretty  high,  but  they  wanted 
to  start  right  and  wanted  the  best  they  could  get.  They  received  fine 
birds.  Then  we  bought  an  incubator  and  every  morning  they  would 
gather  the  eggs  early  so  they  would  not  chill.  They  placed  them  in  bas- 
kets and  turned  them  once  each  day.  They  did  this  without  being  told. 
I  set  the  incubator  and  lifted  the  trays;  they  filled  the  lamps  and  watched 
the  thermometer,  and  kept  the  egg  chamber 'at  the  proper  temperature  for 
incubation.  They  did  this  just  as  well  as  I  could  have  done  it.  When  the 
ducks  began  to  hatch  how  delighted  the  girls  were.  They  would  stand  in 
front  of  the  incubator  and  look  at  them  through  the  glass  and  talk  all 
sorts  of  baby  talk,  telling  them  what  they  would  do  for  them  as  soon  as 
they  would  be  able  to  leave  the  machine.  They  never  took  one-half  the 


CHICKS   FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  53 

pleasure  with  all  their  dolls  as  they  did  with  those  ducks.  They  hatched 
some  of  the  ducks  with  hens.  The  girls  fed,  brooded  and  took  all  the 
care  of  them.  I  paid  no  attention  whatever  to  them  and  the  result  was 
they  sold  fifty-six  dollars'  worth  and  kept  thirteen  ducks  for  breeding  pur- 
poses. O,  the  air  castles  they  are  building  for  another  year! 

Mothers,  try  your  little  girls  and  boys  in  this  work;  it  will  surprise  you 
what  an  interest  they  will  take  and  how  many  steps  they  will  save  you 
during  the  summer,  besides  the  practical  knowledge  they  will  gain  that 
will  help  them  in  after  life.  We  have  their  music  lessons  and  musical  in- 
struments to  pay  for  anyway.  Why  not  give  them  a  chance  to  earn  the 
money  to  pay  for  a  part  of  these  at  least.  They  will  practice  more  econ- 
omy in  spending  the  money  they  earn  themselves  than  if  it  came  direct 
from  us.  They  will  also  take  more  interest  in  their  music  and  try  harder  to 
learn  when  they  pay  for  the  lessons  with  their  own  money.  This  is  not 
all.  It  will  be  an  advantage  to  them  to  learn  things  along  this  line  while 
we  are  here  to  teach  them.  Labor  rarely  becomes  irksome  to  children 
when  they  are  personally  interested  in  it,  knowing  they  will  receive,  the 
profits  derived  therefrom. 


Testimonial  Letters  to  Mrs*  Johnson 


THE  following  letters  received  by  Mrs  Rebecca  Johnson  are  an  indica- 
tion of  the  appreciation  people  have  of  her  knowledge  on  the  subject 
of  manipulating  incubators  and  raising  chickens: 

NEVADA,  Feb.  3, 1905. — Dear  Mrs.  Johnson:  I  feel  as  if  I  must  write 
and  thank  you  for  the  letter  you  wrote  me  how  to  run  an  incubator.  I 
used  to  read  all  the  books  and  papers  about  poultry  and  incubators  that  I 
could  get,  but  your  one  instructive  letter  had  more  valuable  information  in 
it  than  all  papers  and  poultry  books  I  ever  read.  It  told  me  everything 
in  plain  words,  just  what  I  needed  to  know.  I  think  that  the  failure  in 
incubators  are  due  to  improper  instructions  sent  out  with  the  machines. 
The  first  time  I  started  my  incubator  I  ran  it  according  to  the  directions  I 
received  with  my  incubator,  and  failed.  I  only  got  forty-four  chicks  from 
230  eggs;  I  became  very  much  discouraged  for  I  wanted  early  chicks,  but 
when  I  read  in  the  papers  about  your  success  I  thought  I  would  write  and 
ask  you  how  you  managed  your  incubator,  and  received  your  letter  just  in 
time  to  save  my  second  hatch;  this  time  I  got  146  healthy  chicks  and  the 
third  time  I  got  164.  I  hatched  quite  a  few  under  hens  for  I  wanted  the 
hens  to  raise  the  incubator  chicks.  In  all  I  raised  about  500  chicks.  It 
was  late  in  the  season  when  I  got  your  letter;  next  spring  I  will  start  my 
incubator  early  and  try  to  raise  twice  as  many.  I  have  a  brooder,  but  I 
do  not  know  how  to  use  it;  I  wish  you  would  be  so  kind  as  to  give  me 
instructions  how  to  operate  it  also;  it  would  be  so  much  easier  than  to 
bother  with  hens.  I  have  a  nice  flock  of  Langshans.  I  like  them  the  best 
of  any  kind  we  ever  had.  Please  answer  soon. 

Prom  your  friend, 

MRS.  L.  C.  RIEKSON. 


COLO,  IOWA,  May  23,  1904. — My  Dear  Mrs.  Johnson:  I  received 
your  kind  letter  and  will  say  I  was  glad  to  hear  from  you  for  your  letter 
did  me  so  mudh  good.  I  have  been  waiting  to  see  what  kind  of  a  ha'tch  I 
would  have.  Well,  I  was  happily  surprised  I  hatched  380  chicks  from 
400  eggs.  This  is  the  best  I  have  ever  done.  Prom  the  hatch  just  before 
this  I  got  only  132  chicks  from  400  eggs.  This  was  before  I  received  your 
letter.  I  operated  the  ventilator  just  as  you  told  me.  If  everyone  knew 
just  how  to  operate  their  incubator  and  have  as  good  success  as  I  did,  they 
would  be  spared  lots  of  grief  and  many  disappointments.  I  wish  you  would 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  55 

write  me  again  and  tell  -me  anything  you  think  I  ought  to  know.  I  am 
always  ready  and  willing  to  learn.  When  I  read  of  your  success,  I  wondered 
how  you  managed  your  incubator  for  such  good  results,  but  when  I  read 
your  instructions,  how  easy  it  was  for  me  to  operate  my  incubator.  I  wish 
I  could  sell  my  incubator;  it  is  almost  too  large  for  me  since  I  can  hatch  so 
many  chicks  at  once.  It  is  a  good  machine  and  if  a  person  will  follow  your 
instructions  they  can  hatch  more  chicks  than  they  can  take  care  of.  As  I 
know  how  to  operate  an  incubator  now,  a  smaller  one  will  do  me  just  as 
well  or  better,  than  a  large  one.  My  family  is  small,  only  my  husband  and 
myself,  but  I  want  to  raise  at  least  500  hens  for  next  year.  I  think  it  is  the 
duty  of  every  woman  to  do  all  she  can  to  help  make  a  livelihood,  don't  you? 
And  they  can  help  more  by  raising  poultry  than  any  other  way.  It  is  a 
work  I  dearly  love.  I  would  like  to  meet  you  and  have  a  talk  with  you. 
Thanking  you  again  for  your  kindness,  I  remain 

Yours  very  respectfullp, 

MRS.  ED.  DAY. 


COLO,  IOWA,  Oct.  10, 1905. — My  Dear  Mrs.  Johnson :  Please  send  me 
another  fifty  cents  worth  of  your  Poultry  Compound.  We  have  hatched 
at  least  one-fourth  more  chicks  since  you  showed  us  how  to  put  those  extra 
ventilators  in  our  incubator.  I  do,  indeed,  feel  grateful  to  you.  Your 
book  is  certainly  a  wonderful  help  to  chicken  raisers,  no  more  so  than  your 
Compound.  I  am  glad  there  is  some  one  coming  to  the  front  to  help  us 
women  in  poultry  raising,  for  men  have  so  much  help  in  their  stock  raising 
and  one  is  just  as  essential  as  the  other,  don't  you  think  so?  We  have  had 
good  success  with  our  poultry  this  summer.  Please  send  the  Compound 
by  return  mail  and  oblige, 

Yours  respectfully, 

MRS.  JOHN  CONNOLY. 


KALONA,  IOWA,  Sept.  22,  1905. — Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson,  Maxwell,  Iowa: 
Kind  Friend — Well,  I  will  at  last  write  and  let  you  know  that  I  received 
the  money  all  right.  I  simply  put  off  writing  from  one  day  to  the  next,  and 
so  time  went.  I  had  a  letter  from  my  daughter,  telling  me  that  she  saw 
you  at  the  fair.  She  also  sent  me  your  card  and  the  price  of  your  poultry 
tonic.  You  please  send  me  a  package  for  the  stamps  enclosed.  We  have 
sold  enough  young  chickens  to  pay  all  our  expenses  and  have  about  200 
young  chickens  left  for  clear  profit.  My  success  is  all  due  to  you  and  your 
valuable  instruction  book,  I  am  well  pleased  with  the  incubators  I  bought 
of  you.  Of  course,  we  have  not  the  numbers  jrou  are  used  to  raising,  but  I 
am  proud  of  my  success  as  a  beginner  with  an  incubator.  Have  you  the 
pure  bred  Plymouth  Rock  cockerels,  and  if  so  what  are  your  prices?  1  did 


56      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

not  expect  the  dollar  back  on  the  incubator;  only  the  freight.     I  thank  you 
very  much  for  the  same  and  for  all  favors  you  have  done  for  me. 

Yours  respectfully, 

MRS.  BARBARA  KEMHF. 


NEVADA,  IOWA,  Sept.  20,  1905. — Dear  Mrs.  Johnson:  You  gave  me  a 
trial  package  of  your  poultry  compound  at  the  fair.  I  know  it  helped  my 
chickens,  so  I  will  enclose  enough  to  pay  for  your  poultry  book  and 
fifty  cents  worth  of  your  Compound.  Please  send  at  once  for  I  want  to 
keep  right  on  with  the  Compound  until  the  chickens  are  well. 

Yours  very  respectfully, 

MRS.  ANNIE  MILLER. 


BUTTON  WILLOW,  COLO. — My  Dear  Mrs.  Johnson:  Your  nice  letter 
and  valuable  book  received.  I  did  enjoy  your  nice  letter  so  much  and 
thank  you  for  your  interest.  I  know  you  have  wondered  at  my  delay.  En- 
closed please  find  the  money  order  for  the  book.  Thanking  you  for  your 
favors,  I  am 

Your  friend, 

MRS.  WILLIAM  TRACY. 


CENTER  POINT,  IOWA,  Nov.  15,  1905. — My  Dear  Mrs.  Johnson:  Your 
Compound  is  all  right  and  I  want  you  to  send  me  fifty  cents  worth  by  return 
mail.  My  chickens  are  getting  all  right  and  they  are  commencing  to  lay,  all 
from  the  sample  you  sent  me. 

Yours  respectfully, 

ZONA  HAINES. 


WOODWARD,  IOWA,  Oct.  5,  1905. — Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson,  Dear  Friend: 
I  am  so  thankful  for  your  book  and  your  instructions.  I  never  found  any- 
thing that  did  me  so  much  good  in  regard  to  poultry  raising.  I  found 
your  Compound  to  be  just  what  we  need  to  raise  chicks.  I  had  a  flock  of 
seventy  chicks  that  were  dying  at  the  rate  of  four  and  five  a  day.  I  gave 
your  Compound  according  to  directions  and  only  lost  two  after  that.  I 
would  not  try  to  raise  chickens  without  it.  I  wish  I  could  tell  every  one 
that  has  trouble  in  raising  chickens  about  it. 

Prom  your  friend, 

MRS.  LEWIS  JOHNSON, 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  57 


Things  to  Remember 


The  mongrel  is  a  thing  of  the  past  in  profitable  poultry  culture. 

It  is  the  little  things  well  looked  after  in  the  poultry  business  that 
assures  success. 

The  eager,  active,  hungry  hen  is  the  profit  maker.  Lazy  chickens,  like 
lazy  people,  are  worthless. 

Things  should  not  be  done  by  halves  in  the  poultry  business.  If  it  is 
right,  do  it  right;  if  it  is  wrong,  leave  it  undone. 

The  world  is  full  of  hopeless  failures  which  could  have  been  successes 
had  they  devoted  to  real  work  one-half  the  energy  devoted  to  complaining. 

If  you  have  poor  incubators,  poor  brooders  and  poor  instructions,  I 
would  advise  you  to  let  the  poultry  business  alone,  for  failure  is  sure  to  be 
the  result. 

Do  not  buy  poor  musty  grain  just  because  you  can  get  it  cheap.  It 
lacks  nutriment  and  often  causes  sickness  in  your  flock,  especially  among 
the  young  chicks. 

If  you  start  in  the  poultry  business  and  make  a  failure  of  it  do  not  give 
up  in  dispair,  but  find  the  cause  and  remove  it  if  possible.  Others  have 
succeeded,  so  can  you. 

For  a  cold  there  is  nothing  better  than  a  little  kerosene  in  the  water 
you  give  your  fowls.  It  removes  the  secretions  in  the  head  and  removes 
the  phlegm  in  their  throat. 

Lice  multiply  with  wonderful  rapidity,  and  unless  checked,  a  hundred 
will  soon  grow  to  a  million.  Conquer  these  before  they  get  well  started,  if 
you  would  avoid  ruin  to  your  poultry  prospects. 

The  common  life  of  every  day,  with  its  cares,  necessities,  and  duties, 
afford  ample  opportunity  for  acquiring  experience  of  the  best  kind  and  its 
most  beaten  paths  provide  the  most  true  worker  with  abundant  scope  for 
effort  and  room  for  self  improvement. 


Poultry   Culture,    Incubators,    Brooders 

Their  Advantages  on  the  Farm  and 
the  Profit  Derived  Therefrom  <£  <£ 

Paper  Read  By  Mrs.  Rebecca  Johnson,  at  the  Farmers'  Institute,  Maxwell, 
Wednesday,  January  25,  1905. 

1DO  not  know  that  I  can  explain  poultry  culture,  incubators,  brooders 
and  their  advantages  on  the  farm  and  the  profits  derived  therefrom  as 

well  as  those  who  have  more  literary  ability,  although  I  have  made 
these  a  study  for  over  twenty  years.  However,  I  will  try  to  explain  it  to 
you  to  the  best  of  my  ability. 

The  people  that  are  making  money  in  this  progressive  age  are  those 
who  have  the  foresight  to  use  the  most  improved  facilities;  those  who  fail 
are  those  who  neglect  their  opportunities.  Success  in  any  branch  of  agri- 
culture seems  to  depend  upon  the  effort  that  one  makes  to  utilize  the  most 
modern  machinery  and  methods. 

The  hen  is  a  very  good  hatching  machine,  but  very  slow.  Very  few 
people  who  depend  upon  the  hen  for  hatching  are  able  to  make  a  commer- 
cial success  of  poultry;  it  is  like  making  butter  from  a  large  herd  of  well 
fed  cows,  with  the  old  fashioned  up  and  down  churn,  or  dropping  corn  by 
hand  and  covering  it  with  a  hoe.  and  then  cultivating  it  with  one  horse 
and  a  single  shovel  plow  as  our  fathers  used  to  do.  Tis  true  they  made 
good  butter,  and  raised  good  corn  in  those  days,  but  could  a  man  make  a. 
livelihood  for  a  large  family  raising  corn  in  that  way  today?  No,  we  must 
have  labor  saving  machinery,  hence  the  incubator  and  brooder.  They  are 
the  poultryman's  labor  saving  machines;  they  enable  him  to  do  business  on 
a  large  enough  scale  to  make  money,  besides  a  living,  and  this  is  not  all; 
eggs  command  a  good  price  and  are  ready  sale  for  cash,  all  the  year  around, 
consequently,  we  cannot  afford  to  let  old  Biddy  waste  her  time  and  energy 
setting  and  raising  a  brood  when  we  can  do  it  just  as  well  for  her,  while  she 
is  laying  the  golden  egg  that  fills  our  incubators,  pays  our  store  bills,  and 
furnishes  a  nice  boiled  or  fried  egg  for  breakfast.  No  experienced  poultry- 
man  at  the  present  time  will  undertake  to  rear  fowls  in  large  numbers  for 
the  production  of  eggs  and  depend  on  the  hen  that  lays  the  egg  for  incu- 
bation, because  those  Mediterranean  breeds,  or  non-setters  as  they  are 
usually  called,  such  as  the  Leghorn  and  Minorcas  cannot  be  depended  upon 
for  natural  incubation,  consequently,  artificial  incubation  must  be  resorted 
to  if  we  would  make  poultry  culture  for  egg  producing  a  success.  Leg- 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  59 

horns  and  Minorcas  never  become  broody  the  first  year,  and  seldom  the 
second.  They  do  not  make  good  incubators  because  they  are  too  nervous. 
If  you  go  near  the  nests  where  they  are  setting  they  will  fly  off  like  "a  shot 
out  of  a  gun,"  and  often  break  their  eggs.  I  set  every  hen  that  became 
broody  last  summer  on  duck  eggs,  and  then  did  not  have  enough,  so  I 
thought  I  would  force  some  to  set,  but  they  set  standing  every  time,  hence, 
you  see,  if  I  had  not  resorted  to  artificial  incubation  to  hatch  my  chicks,  I 
would  have  (excuse  slang,  please)  "come  out  of  the  little  end  of  the  horn," 
and  missed  all  those  nice  fried  chickens,  $250  and  500  pullets  that  are  pay- 
ing for  our  living  today.  'Tis  true  some  do  not  have  success  with  incu- 
bators, but  there  are  so  many  different  makes  of  machines  on  the  market 
today,  and  as  they  are  all  the  best,  so  the  companies  that  make  them 
claim,  you  see  it  would  be  very  hard  for  a  person  having  little  or  no  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  the  natural  laws  of  incubation  and  what  mechanism  is 
required  to  constitute  a  good  machine,  to  distinguish  the  difference  be- 
tween a  good  and  a  poor  machine. 

For  best  results  an  incubator  must  have  a  good  heating  device;  one 
that  will  distribute  a  uniform  heat  throughout  the  egg  chamber.  There 
should  be  ventilators  in  the  bottom,  ends  and  top,  and  the  operator  should 
have  good  instructions  telling  how  and  when  to  use  these  ventilators.  The 
cause  of  chicks  dying  in  the  shell  is  the  lack  of  oxygen  in  the  egg  chamber 
at  pipping  time. 

It  is  just  as  essential  to  have  a  good  brooder  as  it  is  to  have  good  in 
cubators;  if  you  try  to  get  along  without  one  I  would  advise  you  to  try  to 
get  along  without  the  other,  and  you  should  have  at  least  two  brooders  to 
one  incubator.  There  is  where  I  have  made  a  mistake,  to  my  sorrow — 
crowding  too  many  chicks  in  one  brooder.  It  will  cost  a  little  more  at  the 
start,  but  it  will  pay  big  dividends  in  the  end. 

Keep  the  temperature  at  ninety  the  first  week,  and  as  the  chicks  grow 
older  and  stronger,  gradually  lower  the  temperature  and  in  a  little  while 
they  can  do  without  artificial  heat  altogether.  We  made  a  large  brooder 
ourselves,  which  is  comparatively  inexpensive,  to  put  our  chicks  in  after 
they  are  three  or  four  weeks  old.  They  are  too  young  to  wean  from  a 
brooder  at  that  age,  and  it  keeps  them  safe  from  vermin  that  usually  in- 
fest the  poultry  yards  The  little  chicks  become  very  much  attached  to 
their  brooder  and  rely  upon  it  for  shelter  and  protection  just  as  much  as 
they  would  a  hen.  Do  not  feed  brooder  chicks  anything  but  grit  for 
thirty,six  hours  after  hatching,  and  I  would  advise  you  to  take  a  dose  or 
two  yourself,  for  you  may  need  a  little  grit  to  help  you  through  trying 
difficulties  that  are  sure  to  arise  at  the  end  of  eight  days  if  you  overfeed 
your  chicks.  In  raising  brooder  chicks  always  keep  in  mind  that  "cleanli- 
ness is  next  to  Godliness,"  for  you  cannot  raise  chicks  where  lice,  mites 
and  filth  exist. 


60      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BKOOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

Poultry  raising  appeals  strongly  to  most  people  because  of  its  adapta- 
bility as  a  combination  with  farming.  In  fact,  poultry  keeping  demands 
the  carrying  on  of  some  other  lines  of  work  inorder  to  make  the  most  profit 
possible  from  one's  labor.  The  poultry  business  requires  no  great  amount 
of  capital,  and  considerable  poultry  can  be  kept  largely  upon  what  would 
otherwise  be  a  waste;  there  is  much  waste  about  a  farm  that  cannot  be 
utilized  in  any  other  way  as  effectively  as  by  poultry,  which  pick  up  the 
last  grain,  whether  in  the  manger  or  in  the  refuse  and  convert  it  into 
profit.  Waste  in  the  feed  yard  is  also  converted  into  profit;  there  is  noth- 
ing that  will  glean  after  hogs  but  poultry.  Then  when  the  grain  is 
threshed  the  straw  pile  will  furnish  a  great  deal  of  picking  for  them,  even 
with  the  best  kind  of  threshing.  In  the  fall  there  are  small  potatoes,  cab- 
bages, turnips,  squashes,  onions,  carrots  and  beets  that  are  not  marketable; 
poultry  like  them  and  will  eat  them  with  a  relish.  In  fact,  there  is  nothing 
to  take  the  place  of  poultry  for  converting  the  waste  materials  on  a  farm 
into  marketable  products.  There  is  no  longer  any  question  but  that  poul- 
try is  profitable,  even  when  kept  aJone,  but  much  more  so  when  the  busi- 
ness can  be  combined  with  other  branches  of  farm  work  so  that  each  de- 
partment fits  into  the  other,  and  the  waste  of  one  is  utilized  by  the  other. 
Poultry  keeping  can  be  engaged  in  as  a  side  line  with  almost  any  business 
which  will  allow  one  time  enough  to  give  it  careful  attention  each  morning 
and  evening.  Many  business  men  are  doing  well  with  small  flocks  under 
conditions  that  could  hardly  be  termed  favorable,  but  the  hen  will  give  a 
good  account  of  herself  under  almost  any  kind  of  a  combination  if  she  is 
given  reasonable  care.  On  so  many  farms  you  will  find  the  poultry  badly 
neglected.  The  women  are  generally  expected  to  look  after  them,  and  if 
they  are  not  very  strong  and  are  doing  their  housework  without  any  help, 
you  will  find  the  hen  house  full  of  lice,  mites  and  filth,  not  a  fit  habitation 
for  any  living  creature;  Husbands,  here  is  where  you  can  lend  a  helping 
hand  and  utilize  your  time  on  rainy  days.  Clean  out,  whitewash,  renovate 
and  fumigate  the  hen  house,  and  your  wife  will  be  perfectly  willing  to  do 
the  rest.  It  is  not  necessary  to  build  a  castle  for  chickens,  but  it  is  neces- 
sary that  the  house  should  be  warm,  roomy  and  properly  lighted,  and  keep 
in  mind  that  old  adage;  it  applies  to  hen  houses  as  well  as  brooders  and 
colony  houses. 

I  have  heard  a  great  many  persons  express  the  desire  to  get  onto  a 
small  farm  where  they  can  make  a  comfortable  living  without  having  to 
work  too  hard,  and  at  the  same  time  live  an  independent  life.  Poultry 
offers  one  of  the  very  best  leaders  for  such  a  place  and  it  pays  as  much 
money  for  the  labor  and  money  invested  as  any  kind  of  business  one  can 
engage  in.  On  a  place  of  this  kind  one  is  able  to  be  at  home  with  one's 
family,  and  places  of  this  sort  offer  the  best  possible  conditions  for  the 
rearing  of  children.  Such  a  home  will  always  be  looked  upon  with  memo* 


CHICKS  FROM  DYING  IN  THE  SHELL  61 

ries  that  grow  dearer  as  the  years  come  and  go.  The  diversity  of  life  on  a 
small  farm  of  this  kind  has  a  tendency  to  keep  up  the  interest  and  make 
the  work  more  attractive  and  less  irksome  to  the  children  than  where  one 
line  is  followed  exclusively. 

During  the  year  1899  the  hens  in  the  United  States  deposited  1,293,818, 
144  dozen  eggs.  Now  a  case  of  eggs  contains  thirty  dozen,  hence  it  would 
require  43,127,272  cases  to  hold  the  annual  output.  Comparatively  few 
people  know  or  realize  that  the  hen  produces  more  wealth  every  year  than 
all  the  gold  and  silver  mines  in  the  world.  The  value  of  the  poultry  and 
egg  product  in  the  United  States  in  1890  was  greater  than  that  of  either 
gold  or  silver  produced  in  the  entire  world  during  any  previous  year  since 
the  record  began  in  1493.  The  poultry  and  egg  products  of  1899  exceeded 
in  value  the  pig  iron  by  more  than  $21,000,000  and  the  eggs  alone  were 
valued  at  $144,286,370 

In  1899  all  the  wool  product  in  the  United  States  amounted  to  but 
$45,723,793,  while  the  value  of  the  poultry  and  eggs  amounted  to  the  vast 
sum  of  $281,178,247.  You  see  the  value  of  jvool  is  less  than  sixteen  per  cent 
that  of  the  hen  product  Isn't  it  about  time  for  the  farmers  to  begin  to 
study  the  relative  market  value  of  the  hen  to  their  other  products?  The 
eggs  and  poultry  sold  by  the  people  of  the  United  States  in  1899  was 
greater  than  the  value  of  all  animals  slaughtered,  and  was  far  more  than 
the  entire  oat  crop.  Would  you  believe  that  the  hen  produced  more  cash 
than  the  entire  wheat  crop  of  twenty-eight  states  and  territories,  including 
Illinois,  Iowa,  Pennsylvania,  Missouri,  New  Jersey,  Texas  and  Wisconsin? 
It's  a  fact.  She  produced  a  greater  value  than  the  corn  crop  of  eighteen 
states  and  territories,  including  California,  Colorado,  Massachusetts,  New 
York,  North  Dakota,  Washington,  Oregon  and  Wyoming.  The  value  of 
all  the  poultry  in  the  United  States  reserved  for  breeding  and  laying  in 
1900  was  fixed  by  competent  authority  at  $70,000.000;  the  number  of  fowls 
at  250,681,598,  yet  from  this  number  of  fowls  valued  at  $70,000.000  was 
produced  for  the  market,  eggs  valued  at  $144,289.370,  and  poultry  worth 
$136,891.877  a  grand  total  of  $281,178,247,  or  over  400  per  cent  on  the  invest- 
ment. Can  you  beat  such  a  record  by  engaging  in  any  other  legitimate 
business  known  to  commerce? 

Please  keep  in  mind  that  the  above  figures  apply  only  to  poultry  and 
eggs  produced  on  farms.  The  vast  amount  produced  in  villages  of  the 
country  added  to  the  above  makes  the  totals  more  staggering,  besides  the 
many  millions  slaughtered  for  table  use  throughout  the  country,  which  is 
not  considered  in  the  above  report,  would  bring  the  real  value  of  the 
poultry  product  up  to  an  overwhelming  amount.  Now  isn't  it  about  time 
for  the  farmer  to  give  more  serious  consideration  to  the  patriotic  old 
hen,  when  it  is  the  most  profitable,  healthy  and  enjoyable  occupation  un- 
der the  sun. 


62      HOW  TO  HATCH,  BROOD,  FEED  AND  PREVENT 

But  my  friends,  let  me  say  a  few  words  to  those  of  you  who  contem- 
plate poultry  culture  for  a  livelihood:  You  must  have  love  for  the  work, 
and  an  ambition  to  do  that  work,  and  by  persistent  effort  and  investigation 
you  will  acquire  knowledge,  and  after  getting  practical  experience,  then 
persevere  and  you  will  overcome  difficulties,  and  success  will  be  the  result. 
If  you  will  only  start  right  and  stick  to  it  I  promise  you  good  returns,  not 
only  in  cash,  but  in  health,  strength  and  all  that  goes  to  make  life  worth 
living. 

I  could  go  on  at  length  pointing  out  its  fascinations,  pleasures  and  ad- 
vantages, but  time  forbids,  but  will  say  to  the  new  beginner;  I  am  with 
you  in  spirit,  sympathizing  with  you  in  your  time  of  trouble  and  rejoicing 
with  you  in  your  success.  I  am  ever  your  friend  and  well  wisher. 


INDEX 


Page 

Breeders  and  Success 35 

Bill  for  Closed  Feed  Yard . . '. 39 

Brooder  for  the  Chicks,  How  to  Prepare 14 

Culture  of  Geese 24 

Ducks .. 20 

Diseases  and  Their  Remedies 41 

Apoplexy 44 

Bone,  Charred ..... 43 

Bath,  Dust 43 

Crop  Bound 47 

Cholera 47 

Diarrhoea,  How  to  Treat  It 44 

Dysentery  in  Chicks,  Cure  for 42 

Fowls,  Over-fat .". 43 

Poultry,  Good  Tonic  for 43 

Grit  for 43 

Roup,  Cure  for 48 

Scaly  Legs,  Cure  for 47 

Early  Hatched  Chickens  are  Best 19 

Find  a  Good  Market  and  Meet  Its  Demands 32 

Feeding  Hens  for  Egg  Production  in  Winter 28 

Feed  Yard,  Bill  for 39 

Grow  Speltz  for  Your  Poultry 35 

Geese,  Culture  of 24 

Give  Your  Boys  and  Girls  a  Chance  52-53 

How  to  Prevent  Chicks  From  Dying 11 

How  and  What  to  Feed  Brooder  Chicks. 17 

How  to  Pip  the  Egg 13 

How  to  Prepare  the  Brooder  for  the  Chicks 14 

How  to  Hatch  Ducks  by  Incubation 20 

How  and  What  to  Feed  Ducks. 21 

How  to  Start  Your  Incubators 7 

How  to  Prepare  Young  Cockerels  for  Market 32 

How  to  Build  a  Cheap  Poultry  House . . . . ' 37 

Introductory ". 3 

Leghorns  Not  Good  Setters 35 

MRS.  JOHNSON'S  POULTRY  COMPOUND 41 

Directions  for  Preparing 41 

Directions  for  Using- 42 


64  INDEX 

Mrs.  Johnson's  Method  of  Forcing  a  Molt 29 

Moisture  and  When  to  Introduce  It 12 

Mating,  Breeding  and  Rearing  Turkeys 22 

Molting 29 

Poultry  Industry 37 

Proper  Temperature  for  Successful  Incubation 8 

Poultry  Culture,  Incubators,  Brooders 58-61 

Poultry  Hints 49-51 

Poultry  House ....  37 

Recipe  for  Keeping  Eggs 36 

Removing  Chicks  to  the  Brooder 15 

Saving  Eggs  for  Incubation .  5 

Testing  the  Eggs  to  Set 6 

Testing  Eggs  for  Fertility 6 

Turning  and  Cooling  the  Egg 9 

The  White  of  the  Egg  Makes  the  Chick 31 

Talk  on  Incubators  and  Brooders 36 

Turkeys 22 

Testimonial  Letters  to  Mrs.  Rebecca  Johnson 54-56 

Things  to  Remember 57 

Ventilation  and  How  to  Prevent  Chicks  From  Dying  in  the  Shell.  11 

When  to  Remove  Chicks  to  the  Brooder 15 

Which  is  the  Best  General  Purpose  Fowl? 28 

Young  Cockerels 32 


INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 

Portrait  of  Mrs.  Johnson Frontispiece 

Buff  Cochins 38 

Black  Langshans 45 

Bronze  Turkeys 23 

Barred  Plymouth  Rocks 26 

Feed  Yard  and  Brooders 41 

Light  Brahmas 46 

Mrs.  Johnson's  1087  Chick  Hatch 33 

Mrs.  Johnson  and  Little  Daughters  and  Their  Ducks 52 

Mammoth  Imperial  Pekin  Ducks 21 

Rose  Comb  Brown  Leghorns 34 

Silver  Laced  Wyandottes 27 

Single  Comb  Brown  Leghorns 33 

Toulouse  Geese 25 


ESTABLISHED  J870 


H.  L  Brown  &  Son 


Commission  Merchants 


And  Leading 
Dealers  in  <£ 

Poultry  and  €39$ 


UP  TO  DATE  AND  RELIABLE 

225  South  Water  St.,    Chicago,  111. 


We  advance  the  following  reasons  wby 
it  will  pay  you  to  do  business  with  us: 


Thirty-seven  years  experience,  unlimited  outlet, 
full  values  and  prompt  returns  guaranteed.  Send 
us  your  shipments,  thereby  increasing  your  bank 
account  £t  jt  ^t  £t  &  &  jt 


^Reference: 

JO  «£* 

For  commercial  rating,  see  Dun  or  Bradstreet 


First  National  Bank,  Chicago  ^  The  Author  of  this  Book 


this 

Brings 

Von 

€00$* 


Lots  of  them,  because  hens 
fed  green  bone  fresh  cut, 
lay  more  eggs,  more  fertile 
eggs  and  produce  better 
hatches,  earlier  broilers  and 

heavier  market  birds.  It  gives  the  hen  the  protein  and  other  egg 
elements  she  needs  to  keep  up  her  work.  If  you  feed  green  cut  bone> 
you'll  need  a 

/I/I  A  XTIVT'C    LATEST  MODEL 
ITlAlMlN  £>    BONE  CUTTER 

The  one  that  cuts  all  the  bone,  meat  and  adhering  gristle,  clean,  fast 
and  fine.  Mann's  has  open  hopper,  specially  tempered  knives  and 
self-adjusting  automatic  feed  that  adapts  the. cutting  to  the  strength 
of  the  operator.  It  never  clogs  and  leaves  no  uncut  slivers  nor 
chunks.  Mann's  is  Sold  on  Ten  Days  Free  Trial.  No  money  in 
advance. 

Write  jor  jree  illustrated  catalog. 

F.  W.  Mann  Co.,  flilford,  flass. 

Box    192 

The  Author's  success  is  partly  due  to  a  Mann  Bone  Cutter. 


Payne's  Alfalfa  Feeds 


TO  GET  THE  BEST  RESULTS  YOU 
MUST  USE  THE  VERY  BEST  FEED 


Ask  for 

Poultry 
Pointers 

And 

Uncle 
Charlie's 

Little 

Chick 

Talk 


Alfalfa  Feeds 


PAYNE'S  PURE  ALFALFA  MEAL 
PAYNE'S  POULTRY  MASH 


Grain  Feeds 


PAYNE'S  CHICK  FEED 
PAYNE'S  HEN  FEED,* 


ALFALMO  No.  33.   ALFALMO  SWINE  FEED 

For  Fattening  Cattle  For  Hogs 

ALFALFA  MEAL  CO. 

Omaha,  Neb. 


This  is  the  feed  I  use  to  take  the  place  of  grass  for  egg  production  in  winter. 
—THE  AUTHOR. 


Poultry^ 
Charcoal 

is  the  greatest 
Natural  Tonic 
and  Invigorator 
ever  produced  ^ 


It  is  made  from  hard  wood,  thoroughly  burned,  then  crushed, 
screened,  and  put  up  in  twenty-five-pound  sacks. 

We  make  it  in  three  sizes—  No.  1,  Course,  for  large  fowls;  No.  2, 
Medium,  for  growing  birds,  and  No.  3,  Pine,  for  young  chicks  and 
for  mixing  in  soft  feed. 

Every  bird  needs  a  quantity  of  Charcoal  to  keep  it  in  the  best  of 
condition,  therefore  it  will  pay  you  to  lay  in  a  stock  and  keep  it  con- 
stantly before  yours. 

No.  i  Size  ............................  $1.75  per  100  Ibs. 

No.  2  Size  .....  .  .....................  $  i  .75  per  100  Ibs. 

No.  3  Size  ............................  $2.00  per  100  Ibs. 

P.  O.  B.  Pittsburg 

Send  for  our  circular  of  dependable  Poultry  Supplies,  and  let  us 
quote  you  interesting  prices  on  anything  you  may  want. 


STAPLER  POULTRY  SUPPLY  COMPANY 

726  Arrott  Power  Building 
PITTSBURG,   PA. 


I  can  recommend  this  charcoal  as  the  best  I  have  ever  used— THE  AUTHOR. 


Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson's 
Brooders  (Si  Incubators 


D 


Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson 


EAR  READERS,  I  have  shown  by 
actual  demonstration  (as  you  \vill 
see  by  the  cuts  in  this  pamphlet) 
what  is  possible  for  persons  to  do  with  my 
incubators  and  brooders.  Also  my  com- 
pound, and  book  on  "How  to  Hatch, 
Brood,  Feed  and  Prevent  Chicks  From 
Dying  in  the  Shell,"  a  long  title,  but  one 
that  covers  the  question  of  success.  I  had 
this  book  published  after  twenty-five  years 
of  practical  experience  with  incubators 
and  raising  brooder  chicks.  I  made  my 
first  incubator  from  two  dry  goods  boxes 
with  my  own  hands.  I  took  lessons  from  a 
hen  by  placing  a  thermometer  under  her,  and  watching  her 
movements  closely  and  thus  learned  the  natural  laws  of  incuba- 
tion from  nature.  The  result  of  my  first  hatch  was  108  chicks 
from  116  eggs.  I  had  never  seen  an  incubator;  did  not  know 
the  mechanism  that  was  required  to  construct  a  hatching  ma- 
chine, but  I  found  that  every  thing  is  learned  by  persistent  ef- 
fort and  investigation.  I  have  experimented  all  these  years, 
making  improvements  in  my  incubators  and  brooders  and  also 
my  method  of  operating  them,  until  I  have,  I  think,  the  best 
equipments  for  hatching  and  brooding  little  chicks,  also  the 
best  instructions  that  were  ever  placed  upon  the  market;  at 
least  I  demonstrated  the  fact.  When  I  advertised,  just  after 
my  first  test,  and  two  weeks  before  the  hatch  was  due,  that  I 
would  hatch  2,000  chicks  in  one  day  and  exceeded  my  promise 
by  330,  for  by  actual  count  I  hatched  2,330  chicks,  only  loosing 
140  eggs  of  those  left  in  my  incubators  after  my  final  test.  Iii 
1905  I  hatched  1,087  chicks  in  one  day,  only  loosing  23  eggs.  I 


give  with  each  machine  one  of  my  books,  50  cents  worth  of 
compound — enough  to  make  one  gallon  of  medicine,  and  last, 
but  not  least,  an  electric  danger  alarm  that  will  ring  when  the 
thermometer  registers  the  danger  point.  This  alarm  was  in- 
vented and  patented  by  myself,  and  is  one  of  the  greatest  im- 
provements on  incubators  for  many  years.  One  can  go  to  bed 
and  sleep  the  sleep  of  the  just.  Your  bell  will  tell  you  when 
there  is  danger,  will  fit  any  machine.  My  compound  is  sure 
cure  for  roup  and  bowel  trouble  in  little  chicks  (read  the  testi- 
monials), a  50  cent  package  will  make  one  gallon  of  medicine, 
a  whole  summer's  treatment.  To  try  its  merit  send  two  cents 
and  receive  a  trial  package  free.  I  sell  my  book  for  $1.00.  To 
those  already  having  incubators  it  will  be  a  wonderful  help, 
to  those  that  have  had  very  little  practical  experiece  in 
the  art  of  artificial  incubation.  I  guarantee  my  lice  powder  to 
rid  your  place  of  lice  and  mites  if  used  according  to  directions, 
or  money  refunded.  A  great  many  people  that  will  receive 
this  little  pamphlet  have  already  heard  of  me,  as  so  many  papers 
all  over  the  country  have  published  an  article  telling  of  my 
wonderful  success  in  hatching  and  raising  poultry,  so  you  need 
not  be  afraid  to  trust  me  for  I  am  just  who  and  what  I  pretend 
to  be. 

My  incubators  are  hot  water  incubators,  I  have  found  that 
hot  air  machines  demand  too  much  attention,  the  temperature 
runs  up  too  quick  also  down  too  quick,  especially  at  the  last  of 
the  hatch.  This  is  the  critical  time  as  there  is  so  much  animal 
heat  in  the  eggs.  There  should  be  plenty  of  ventilation  in  an 
incubator  so  there  will  be  evaporation  in  the  egg  which  is 
absolutely  necessary  so  that  the;  chicks  will  have  room  to  take 
on  its  form,  pip  the  shell,  turn  clear  around  and  come  out.  If 
a  chick  takes  up  too  much  albumen,  or  the  white  of  the  egg, 
(and  it  is  sure  to,  if  the  incubator  is  not  properly  ventilated), 
it  will  grow  so  large  and  pack  in  the  shell  so  tight  it  can  not 
move  and  you  know  the  result.  If  you  purchase  an  outfit  of 
me  I  can  help  you  in  the  way  of  advice  which  would  be  worth 
a  great  deal  to  the  new  beginner.  I  will  make  a  special  price 
on  several  incubators  and  brooders  if  ordered  at  one  time. 


Dear  readers,  I  solicit  a  share  of  your  patronage  at  least. 
.Wishing  you  success  I  am  ever  your  friend, 

MRS.  D.  C.  JOHNSON, 
Maxwell,  Iowa. 

A  WORD  ABOUT  OUR  BROODERS 

We  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  our  brooders  have  no  equal, 
and  this  statement  is  based  entirely  upon  a  comparison  of  re- 
sults obtained.  We  heat  our  brooders  with  hot  air.  We  make 
some  with  pipes  over  head  and  some  with  drums  underneath. 
Our  brooders  have  two  sections,  a  brooder  with  house  and  a 
feed  room  or  brooder  attachment.  We  used  to  build  the  feed 
room  and  brooder  separate,  but  now  combine  the  two,  saving 
expense  and  labor  for  the  operator.  The  house  is  warmer  than 
the  feed  room,  this  affords  them  &  choice  of  temperature.  Both 
rooms  are  warm  enough  at  all  times  to  keep  the  brood  comfort- 
able without  crowding  and  trampling  each  other.  Brooders 
without  a  feed  room  are  not  a  success,  for  chicks  must  have 
exercise  and  a  change  of  temperature.  The  food  also  becomes 
soiled  if  fed  in  a  brooder  and  chicks  kept  in  a  brooder  any 
length  of  time  without  the  feed  room  will  contract  disease.  I 
use  out  door  brooders  without  a  brooder  house.  .  I  could  not 
raise  chicks  in  such  great  numbers  if  I  had  to  have  houses  for 
each  brood.  It  would  be  too  expensive  and  too  much  labor,  for 
not  only  would  the  brooder  have  to  be  kept  clean,  but  the  brood- 
er house  also.  I  have  from  20  to  30  of  these  brooders  on  my 
farm  all  the  time,  besides  I  have  a  great  many  brooder  houses 
where  I  put  my  chicks  after  they  are  weaned  from  the  brooder. 
If  a  person  should  want  several  brooders  I  will  make  a  special 
price  that  will  surprise  you. 

The  ventilation  system  is  perfect  in  our  brooders,  afford- 
ing the  chicks  a  constant  supply  of  pure  fresh  air  that  has  been 
warmed  a,t  the  top  of  the  brooder  before  reaching  them.  The 
floor  of  the  brooder  is  4  inches  above  the  ground  which  insures 
freedom  from  dampness  and  vermin.  We  ship  our  brooders 
complete  with  all  necessary  fixtures. 


No.  1   Brooder 

MRS.  JOHNSON'S  NO.  1  INDOOR  100  CHICK  BROODER, 
PRICE  $7.50,  SHIPPING  WEIGHT  85  POUNDS 

In  all  features  this  100  chick  brooder  is  exactly  like  our 
No.  2  indoor  brooder,  excepting  capacity.  All  parts  of  the 
boxes  are  uniformly  heated.  If  you  will  notice  our  lamps  are  in 
the  side  instead  of  the  end ;  this  is  a  great  saving  of  oil  as  there 
is  no  heat  wasted,  as  is  the  case  when  the  lamp  is  at  the  one 
end  of  the  brooder. 


No.  2  Brooder 

MRS.  JOHNSON'S  NO.  2  INDOOR  BROODER  200  CHICK 

CAPACITY,  PRICE  $8.50,  SHIPPING  WEIGHT  90 

POUNDS 

Our  No.  2  brooders  have  the  feed  room  attachment  and  the 
floor  is  4  inches  from  the  ground,  preventing  dampness  and 
vermin.  Floor  space  is  50x32,  the  houses  measuring  37x30  and 
the  feed  room  30x20.  Like  all  our  machines  this  No.  2  is  ship- 
ed  all  complete. 


No.  3  Brooder 

MRS.  JOHNSON'S  NO.  3  OUTDOOR  200  CHICK  CAPACITY, 

PRICE  $10.50 

This  brooder  has  no  equal.  It  takes  the  place  of  brooder 
and  brooder  house.  Has  feed  room  attachment.  It  measures 
54x33  inches,  the  floor  space  of  the  house  is  27x31,  the  feed 
room  is  24x31.  We  ship  No.  3  all  complete.  I  regret  that  I 
haven't  cuts  to  show  all  of  our  brooders. 

NO.  4  BROODER 

I  did  not  get  a  cut  of  my  No.  4  and  No.  5  brooders  in  time 
that  I  could  put  it  in  this  pamphlet.  Our  No.  4  is  a  200  chick 
brooder  and  is  heated  with  a  drum  in  the  center  and  the  lamp 
is  placed  directly  under  this  drum.  I  am  having  only  the  one 
size  of  this  kind  of  brooder  made,  it  is  equipped  with  the  feed 
room  just  the  same  as  our-  other  brooders.  This  brooder  can 
not  be  excelled  by  any  thing  ever  placed  upon  the  market  for 
early  spring,  or  in  cold  weather.  Price  $12.50 ;  it  is  6  feet  long 
and  3  feet  wide ;  it  answers  for  brooder  and  brooder  house. 

NO.  5  BROODER 

Our  No.  5  100  chick  brooder  is  the  best  little  brooder  ever 
sold  for  the  money.  It  is  an  out  door  brooder,  has  a  feed  room 


attachment  and  we  are  selling  this  brooder  for  the  small  sum 
of  $6.50.  We  have  never  offered  this  brooder  for  this  excep- 
tionally low  price  before,  but  we  want  our  patrons  to  have 
good  success  in  raising  their  chicks,  and  a  person  can  get-two 
of  the  No.  5  100  chick  brooder,  for  nearly  the  same  money  as 
they  would  have  to  pay  for  a  200  chick  brooder.  I  do  not  know 
that  I  will  get  my  cuts  in  time  to  put  in  this  pamphlet,  but  will 
send  it  later  on  by  request.  The  cause  of  such  a  great  fatality 
among  brooder  chicks  is  crowding  too  many  chicks  in  one 
brooder.  Take  advantage  of  this  offer  and  raise  most  all  the 
chicks  you  hatch.  If  you  take  two  or  more  brooders  I  will 
make  the  price  still  better.  Write  for  special  prices  and  cut  of 
this  brooder. 


OUR  NO.  3  INCUBATOR 

We  always  urge  our  friends  to  buy  our  No.  3,  240  egg  in- 
cubator because  it  costs  less  in  proportion  to  its  size.  It  does 
not  take  any  more  time  or  oil  to  operate  it  than  do  the  smaller 


machines  then  you  have  more  to  show  for  your  three  weeks' 
work,  if  one  does  not  want  so  many  chicks  as  a  240  incubator 
will  hatch  they  could  sell  a  part  of  them  to  defray  expenses  for 
oil  and  eggs.  It  costs  the  manufacturer  almost  as  much  to  con- 
struct a  small  machine  as  it  does  a  large  one  hence  you  see 
there  can  not  be  very  much  difference  in  the  price.  Prices  are 
as  follows : 

,       No.  1 — 60  egg  capacity $  9.75 

No.  2 — 120  egg  capacity 15.50 

No.  3—240  egg  capacity 18.00 

I  have  made  a  little  change  in  my  incubators  since  I  had 
the  above  cut  made.  How  I  come  to  do  it.  Last  year  when  I 
made  the  "big  hatch,"  the  doors  to  one  of  my  incubators  was 
broken  off,  so  I  just  operated  it  with  the  glass  door  only.  It 
was  easier  to  operate  for  I  did  not  have  to  open  the  door  I 
would  just  look  in  through  the  glass.  I  had  just  as  good  hatch 
from  this  incubator  as  I  had  from  any  of  the  rest,  consequently 
I  left  off  the  out  side  door  and  made  a  double  glass  door.  The 
incubator  is  so  much  easier  cleaned  with  the  one  door  than 
with  two  and  one  will  obtain  just  as  good  results.  I  improve 
my  machines  in  every  way  I  can  to  lessen  the  labor  for  the 
operator.  Always  fill  the  tank  with  hot  water,  soft  if  it  can  be 
obtained.  In  early  spring  the  living  room,  bed  room  or  kitchen 
are  the  best  location  for  the  incubator,  but  in  real  warm  weath- 
er the  cellar  is  alright.  Write  me  for  particulars. 

Write  me  for  prices  on  all  breeds  of  poultry. 


11 
Testimonial  Letters  to  Mrs.   Johnson 


FROM  THE  GOVERNOR  OF  IOWA 

Executive  Office,  Des  Moines,  August  20,  1906. 

My  Dear  Sir:  I  beg  to  acknowledge  your  very  interesting  letter  of 
the  17th  instant.  It  always  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  mark  the  pro- 
gress of  Iowa  in  any  direction,  but  I  find  especial  gratification  in  what 
you  say  with  respect  to  Mrs.  Johnson.  The  world  is  not  very  kind  in  a 
business  way,  and  she  can  well  feel  proud  of  her  victories  over  adverse 
circumstances.  She  well  deserves  the  title  "Poultry  Queen  of  Iowa." 

Yours  very  truly,  ALBERT  B.   CUMMINS. 

Iowa  State  Register  and  Farmer, 
City. 


Iowa  City,  Iowa,  April  15,  1906. 

Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson,  Maxwell,  Iowa.— Dear  Madam:  By  inquiry,  1 
am  referred  to  you  by  Prof.  W.  J.  Rutherford,  Iowa  State  Agriculture 
College,  for  information  on  poultry.  I  desire  poultry  for  market,  and 
from  what  knowledge  I  have,  have  thought  of  securing  prolific  layers 
as  a  breed.  Also  I  wish  to  purchase  one  or  more  incubators  and  am 
satisfied  of  several  good  ones  on  the  market,  also  some  inferior  ones,  but 
for  one  unexperienced  it  is  hard  to  decide;  thinking  perhaps  that  infor- 
mation from  one  who  has  had  experience  along  this  line  would  probably 
evade  many  mistakes  more  costly  than  information  secured  at  begin- 
ing.  Hoping  you  can  furnish  me  information  desired,  I  await  your 
terms,  etc. — Yours  very  respectfully,  R.  S.  COCHRAN. 


Jackson,  Minn.,  July  10.  1906. 

Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson,  Maxwell,  Iowa. — Dear  Madam:  Your  book  on 
poultry  raising  and  how  to  operate  incubators  has  been  recommended 
to  me.  Please  send  me  one  by  return  mail  and  oblige.  Enclosed  find 
P.  O.  order  for  $1.00  for  same. — Yours  truly,  GEO.  D.  HORST. 

Slater,  Iowa,  May  6,  1906. 

Dear  Mrs.  Johnson:  Enclosed  find  check  for  three  dollars  ($3.00) 
for  which  please  send  me  your  Poultry  Compound  at  agent's  prices,  as 
I  want  to  see  if  I  can  do  something  with  it.  It  is  rather  late  in  the  sea- 
son to  do  much  this  year,  but  perhaps  I  can  sell  enough  so  1  can  do  bet- 
ter next  year.  I  have  had  several  inquiries  for  it,  and  I  thought  if  I  had 
some  on  hand  there  would  be  still  more  demand  for  it.  I  may  try  the 
other  remedy  later  on.  When  people  find  how  good  jour  compound  is 
1  think  they  will  be  very  apt  to  call  for  the  other.  .Hoping  you  may  be 
able  to  send  it  at  once,  as  I  have  two  or  three  sales  in  view  now,  I  re- 
main yours  very  truly,  MRS.  J.  M.  ERICHSON. 


Kalona,  Iowa,  June  1,  1906. 

Mrs.  Johnson — Dear  Friend:  No  doubt  you  think  me  a  fake,  as  I 
have  not  returned  the  money  for  your  compound,  but  I  think  of  you 
every  time  I  look  at  my  nice  flock  of  chicks.  I  sold  the  compound.  We 


12 

all  know  it's  all  right.  All  who  have  used  it  feel  so  thankfnl  that  they 
have  found  something  to  save  their  little  chicks. 

I  just  took  out  the  last  of  a  hatch.  I  run  the  incubator  as  you  say 
in  your  book.  I  got  100  chicks  out  of  127  eggs.  I  now  have  350,  that 
will  look  small  to  you,  but  will  set  it  again.  I  would  like  to  raise  enough 
to  get  one  of  your  incubators.  I  tried  your  way  of  using  moisture;  it's 
all  right.  I  took  off  140  chicks  the  day  I  got  your  book  and  only  lost 
four.  Those  got  killed.  Your  name  goes  over  the  line  every  day  by 
some  one  to  some  neighbor, -praising  your  compound.  I  do  wish  I  could 
sell  some  of  your  books.  They  all  think  it  too  much,  but  I  don't.  Now 
I  send  order  for  compound  and  will  sell  all  I  can  for  you,  and  I  am  paid 
for  my  trouble. — MRS.  CORA  LIEBIG. 

P.  S. — Will  send  for  more  compound  and  books  if  1  can  sell  any.  T 
remain  as  ever,  a  friend. —  C.  L. 


Parker,  S.  I).,  July  19,  1906. 

Dear  Mrs.  Johnson — Please  find  enclosed  one  dollar  money  order 
for  which  send  me  some  of  your  compound  for  my  chickens  as  I  believe 
it  to  be  very  good.— Yours  truly,  MRS.  HO  WELL  DAVIS. 


Smith-vine,  Mo.,  MarcU  27,  1906. 

Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson,  Maxwell,  Iowa — Well,  Mrs.  Johnson,  I  have  been 
waiting  to  see  what  success  I  would  have  from  your  book.  I  am  well 
pleased  with  your  instructions.  I  have  hatched  115  chickens  from  125 
fertile  eggs,  and  the  chickens  are  a  month  old  and  are  doing  fine.  I 
have  to  keep  them  in  the  house,  as  the  weather  is  bad,  but  I  have  a 
room  that  I  don't  use  and  they  seem  to  be  doing  well,  and  I  have  tried 
your  medicine.  I  had  a  turkey  that  got  sick  and  would  not  eat.  I 
could  not  tell  what  was  the  matter  with  her,  so  I  gave  her  some  of 
your  compound,  as  directed,  and  she  is  well  and  eats  all  right.  I  think 
it  a  good  medicine. 

Mrs.  Johnson,  did  you  ever  try  turkey  eggs  in  an  incubator,  and  how 
do  they  hatch,  and  do  you  have  the  White  Holland  turkeys?  What  do 
you  sell  the  eggs  at?  I  want  to  get  a  setting.  The  neighbors  around 
here  have  been  laughing  at  me  about  going  by  your  instructions,  but 
now  they  don't  know  what  to  think,  as  they  are  only  getting  about  sev- 
enty and  eighty  out  of  the  same  size  machines. — Respectfully  yours, 
MRS.  DAVID  PARK. 

Marcus,  Iowa,  July  7,  1906. 

Mrs.  D.  C  .  Johnson — Dear  Friend :  I  received  your  letter  and 
Poultry  Book,  also  the  package  of  medicine;  it  did  all  that  it  claimed 
to  do.  Most  of  my  little  chicks  got  well.  I  hope  you  will  forgive  me  for 
being  so  slow  in  sending  you  the  price  of  your  book,  for  which  find 
$1.00  money  order.  How  much  are  your  incubators  and  brooders? — 
MRS.  THOS.  MEECHAN. 


Emmetsburg,  Iowa,  June  10,  1906. 

Mrs.  Johnson — Dear  Friend:  Your  Poultry  Compound  is  all  right, 
it  is  fine  for  wire  cuts  and  sore  shoulders  on  horses.  Please  send  me 
fifty  cents  worth  by  mail.  I  don't  know  how  much  the  postage  will  be, 
but  if  it  is  more  than  ten  cents  let  me  know.  I  suppose  you  have  quite 


13 

a  lot  of  chicks  this  summer.    Send  the  compound  as  soon  as  you  can. — 
MRS.  M.  H.  GRACE. 


Cape  Sable  Island,  South  Side,  Nova  Scotia. 

My  Dear  Mrs.  Johnson:  When  your  book  came  I  cried  for  joy,  oh,  I 
was  so  glad  to  get  it,  for  it  tells  so  many  things  that  I  never  knew  and 
it  will  be  so  helpful  to  me.  Will  be  so  glad  when  my  incubator  gets 
here,  then  I  can  help  to  keep  the  wolf  from  the  door.  My  husband  is  a 
fisherman.  Sometimes  we  have  plenty  then  again  the  traps  will  be 
washed  away,  then  we  do  not  live  so  well.  Eggs  are  such  a  good  price 
all  the  year  around  we  cannot  help  but  do  well  after  we  once  get  a 
start.  Now,  my  dear,  you  have  the  honor  of  placing  the  first  incubator 
on  the  island.  I  am  using  your  compound  with  good  results.  Enclosed 
please  find  $4.00  for  six  packages  of  compound  and  one  more  book. 
Thanking  you  for  your  kind  letters  and  advice,  I  am  ever, — Your  loving 
friend,  MRS.  JAMES  C.  PENNEY. 


Lost  Springs,  Kans.,  June  16,  1906. 

Mrs.  Johnson,  Maxwell,  Iowa — I  heard  that  your  medicine  was  all 
right  for  sick  chicks.  Please  send  me  one  fifty  cent  package. — MRS. 
M.  S.  HERRING. 

Fayette,  Iowa,  July  11,  1906. 

Mrs.  Johnson — I  have  just  taken  off  an  incubator  full  of  chickens, 
and  as  I  have  always  had  trouble  in  raising  them,  I  thought  I  would  try 
your  preparation,  a  lady  was  in  here  that  knew  of  it,  and  recommend- 
ed it  so  highly  I  was  encouraged  to  write.  Will  you  please  write  parti- 
culars. She  could  not  remember  what  it  was  called,  so  I  could  do  noth- 
ing until  I  heard  from  you.  Would  like  a  reply  as  soon  as  possible. — 
MRS.  L.  E.  BURGET. 

Manhattan,  Kans.,  July  8,  1906. 

Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson — Enclosed  you  will  find  stamps  for  which  you 
will  please  send  me  trial  package  of  Poultry  Compound.  I  have  tried 
to  raise  a  good  many  chickens  this  summer  and  have  not  had  very 
good  success.  Was  informed  that  your  Poultry  Compound  was  very 
good  and  would  like  to  try  it.— MRS.  ANNIE  E.  HOWENSTINE. 

901  Kearney  Street. 

Lamoile,  Iowa,  July  9,  1906. 

Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson,  Maxwell,  Iowa — Dear  Madam:  I  saw  your  ad. 
in  the  Western  Poultry  Journal.  Enclosed  will  find  one  dollar  order 
for  your  book.  We  are  running  two  incubators.  I  visited  Mrs.  Vader 
to  see  her  chicks.  She  spoke  about  your  book  as  a  valuable  aid  to  be- 
ginners. Please  send  to  my  address  and  oblige. — ISAAC  H.  PYLE. 


Sioux  City,  Iowa,  July  7,  1906. 

Dear  Mrs.  Johnson — I  will  send  $1.00  by  mail.  Please  send  me 
two  packages  of  Poultry  Compound  at  once  for  I  am  out  of  it.  It  is  the 
best  stuff  I  ever  gave  to  chicks.  I  am  also  giving  it  to  my  old  hens. 
So  please  oblige  me— MRS.  HERMAN  KLINGEBIEL. 

Hinton,  Iowa. 


14 

Saffordville,  Kans.,  July  12,  1906.      . 

Mrs.  Johnson — I  have  heard  your  medicine  praised  so  much  that  I 
would  like  to  try  it  if  you  will  send  us  the  free  sample  before  we  buy 
any. — Yours  truly,  FLORA  KLATT. 


Alexanderia,  Va.,  August  14,  1906. 

Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson,  Maxwell,  Iowa — Dear  Madam:  In  answer  to 
your  letter  of  May  11,  1906,  in  which  you  also  requested  to  "speak  a 
good  word"  for  you  if  I  obtained  satisfactory  results,  will  say  truth- 
fully that  the  compound  has  worked  wonders.  I  have  tried  many 
things,  but  this  beats  all.  Mrs.  Johnson,  I  would  like  to  act  as  agent 
for  this  compound.—  S.  BOWLANGES. 


Allerton,  Iowa,  January  20,  1907. 

Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson — Kind  Friend:  I  bought  one  incubator  of  you 
last  year  and  set  it  three  times  and  then  sold  it  to  one  of  my  neighbors 
so  I  want  to  buy  another  one,  will  you  give  me  prices.  I  think  they 
are  all  right  and  I  did  fine  with  it  last  year  and  want  to  try  again. 
Hoping  to  hear  from  you  soon. — Your  friend,  MRS.  O  G.  GIBBS. 


Muscatine,  Iowa,May  14,  1906. 

Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson — Dear  Friend:  You  sent  us  a  trial  package  of 
your  Poultry  Compound  and  we  know  it  has  helped  our  sick  chicks  and 
we  have  not  lost  any  of  them.  Since  we  gave  them  the  compound  and 
the  book  we  got  of  you  has  been  a  great  help  to  us,  so  please  send  us 
one  dollar's  worth  of  your  Poultry  Compound. —  Yours  respectfully, 
MRS.  FRED  GROTH. 

1161  New  Hampshire. 


Farley,  Iowa  ,January  23,  1907 

Dear  Friend  Mrs.  Johnson — Please  find  enclosed  50  cents  in  stamps 
for  which  send  one  package  of  your  Poultry  Compound.  I  do  not  want 
to  be  without  it.  I  found  out  that  it  is  good  for  a  runaround  that  was 
very  painful  on  a  finger  and  it  was  thought  that  the  nail  would  come 
off.  The  day  I  received  your  last  package  of  compound  I  dissolved  it 
ready  for  use.  The  finger  hurt  and  bothered  so,  I  thought  any  thing 
that  did  so  much  good  as  your  compound  would  not  kill  if  it  did  not 
cure.  I  held  the  finger  into  it  its  full  strength,  it  gave  it  a  dark  color. 
I  am  glad  to  say  that  is  all  gone  and  the  finger  in  a  natural  condition 
now.  Since  I  wrote  the  9th  I  have  got  more  hens,  I  now  have  four 
hundred.  I  read  with  much  interest  your  Life  Story  in  the  Northwest- 
ern Agriculturist.  I  thank  you  for  the  help  your  kind  letters  have  been 
to  me.  As  my  circumstances  are  such  that  I  must  do  all  that  I  can  to 
try  to  get  back  what  is  gone  I  pray  for  success  that  is  if  all  for  the  best. 
—Yours  sincerely,  MRS.  J.  C.  THOMPSON. 


Ottosen,  Iowa,  May  15,  1906. 

Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson — Dear  Madam:  I  received  incubator  all  right 
and  have  it  going;  it  is  satisfactory  so  far.  Yes  you  sent  me  a  book. — 
Yours  truly,  MRS.  P.  G.'DAVirf. 


15 

Marcus,  Iowa,  January  19,  1907. 

Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson — Dear  Friend:  I  write  you  these  few  lines  to 
inquire  the  price  of  200  chick  brooder,  am  thinking  of  getting  one  this 
spring.  I  have  an  incubator  and  brooder,  but  one  brooder  is  not  enough. 
Would  you  advise  setting  the  incubator  before  the  first  of  March?  I 
was  thinking  of  setting  next  month,  but  don't  know  whether  or  not,  but 
will  take  your  advice  in  the  matter.  What  is  the  lowest  price  you  will 
place  incubators  and  brooders  at?  You  wrote  me  last  fall  you  would 
make  prices  for  me  in  order  to  place  one  in  this  locality.  Please  write 
and  let  me  know  as  soon  as  possible.— MRS.  THOS.  MEEHAM. 

P.  S.  Last  summer  I  put  ventilators  in  incubators  as  you  directed 
and  hatched  almost  as  many  more  chicks  as  I  did  in  previous  hatches. 
—MRS.  T.  M. 


Nodaway,  Missouri,  May  12,  1906. 

Dear  Mrs.  Johnson — The  sample  of  your  Poultry  Compound  re- 
ceived and  used  as  directed  for  both  old  fowls  and  brooder  chicks.  The 
latter  was  what  I  wanted  it  especially  for.  I  haven't  lost  one  from 
bowel  trouble  since  giving  your  compound  and  that  is  doing  well  for 
me  for  I  always  lose  more  or  less  every  year  and  I  think  it  is  the  best 
remedy  for  chicks.  I  will  send  50  cents  for  a  package  and  as  soon  as  I 
can  afford  it  will  send  for  your  book,  which  I  know  must  be  good.  I 
used  to  live  at  Cambridge  and  it  seems  like  writing  back  near  our  old 
town. — Yours  truly,  MRS.  MYRTLE  FICKLE. 


Corydon,  Iowa,  May  16,  1906. 

Mrs.  Johnson — Dear  Friend:  I  take  the  liberty  to  write  you  a  few 
lines,  I  having  heard  of  you  through  Mrs.  O.  G.  Gibbs,  a  neighbor  of 
mine.  I  like  her  incubator  she  bought  of  you  so  well  and  she  seemed  to 
have  such  good  success  with  it  that  I  have  concluded  to  get  me  an  in- 
cubator of  some  kind,  would  you  please  send  me  your  summer  prices 
on  the  240  egg  size  and  I  will  be  very  much  obliged  to  you. — MRS.  S.  A. 
CARLSON. 


IOWA,S    POULTRY  QUEEN 

Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson,  of  Maxwell,  Iowa,  who  last  year  established 
the  phenomenal  record  of  over  a  thousand  chicks  at  a  single  hatching, 
started  out  this  season  with  the  determination  to  break  her  own  re- 
cord. Some  time  ago  announcement  was  made  that  on  July  21st  she 
would  bring  off  a  brood  of  2,000  chicks. 

Mrs.  E.  C.  Nienaber,  of  Durant,  who  has  been  in  correspondence 
with  Mrs.  Johnson  and  a  close  student  of  her  methods,  took  occasion 
to  go  to  Maxwell  to  witness  this  phenomenal  hatch.  Mrs.  Nienaber 
says: 

"July  21st  was  certainly  an  eventful  day,  not  in  Mrs.  Johnson's  life 
alone,  but  in  the  history  of  the  art  of  artificial  incubation. 

In  response  to  the  advertisement  in  her  home  papers  that  on  this 
day  she  would,  at  one  hatching,  take  2,000  chicks  from  the  incubators, 
a  large  crowd  assembled.  But  by  actual  count — in  which  the  writer  had 
a  hand— she  took  2,330  chicks  from  her  incubators,  leaving  the  small 
number  of  140  unhatched.  Mrs.  Johnson's  danger  alarm  was  a  wonder- 


16 

ful  help  in  this  hatch  for  the  weather  was  very  warm  and  it  was  hard 
to  keep  the  temperature  under  subjection. 

One  incubator  which  came  under  the  writer's  observation,  hatch- 
ed 136  chicks  with  only  four  eggs  left  in  the  incubator. 

The  event  called  together  a  large  crowd  of  not  only  her  admiring 
freinds,  but  a  large  number  of  curious  and  inquiring  people,  who  were 
coming  and  going  the  entire  day,  many  coming  hundreds  of  miles.  All 
felt  amply  repaid  as  it  was  a  sight  that  will  be  witnessed  but  once  in, a 
life  time. 

An  enclosure  of  perhaps  16x20  feet  on  the  lawn  was  literally  cover- 
ed with  the  little  wriggling,  downy  mortgage  lifters. 

How  few  who  witnessed  the  sight  realized  the  amount ,pf.  .labor  and 
the  tax  on  both  brain  and  body.  Mrs.  Johnson  has  well  earned  for  her- 
self the  title  of  Iowa's  Poultry  Queen,'  or  perhaps  America's  Poultry 
Queen  or  perhaps  of  the  entire  world. 

Not  only  is  she  a  successful  amateur  hatcher  but  she  raises  a 
larger  per  cent  of  what  she  hatches  than  ordinary  poultry  raisers.  She 
certainly  is  an  able  person  to  give  information  on  the  poultry  subject." 

These  words  coming  from  such  a  reliable  source  and  from  one  so 
well  known  in  Durant  will  give  added  strength  to  the  testimony  hither- 
to published  concerning  Mrs.  Johnson's  discoveries  in  artificial  incuba- 
tion and  rearing  incubator  chicks. 

Mrs.  Nienaber  was  more  than  pleased  with  what  she  saw  and 
learned  during  her  visit  with  Mrs.  Johnson  and  further  declares  that 
following  the  latter's  methods  has  proven  of  inestimable  value  in  this 
season's  work. — Durant  Star. 


MY  COMPOUND  IS  GOOD  FOR  CALVES  AND  PIGS 

Neasho,  Missouri,  January  27,  1907. 

Mrs.  D.  C.  Johnson — Dear  Madam:  Enclosed  pleased  find  50 
cents  for  some  more  of  your  compound.  It  is  the  best  remedy  for  poul- 
try I  ever  saw,  and  hope  it  will  never  be  adulterated.  Be  sure  and 
leave  your  formula  with  some  one  when  you  quit  the  business.  Is  it 
good  for  pigs  and  calves  that  have  scours?  We  have  between  4  and  5 
dozen  hens  ,they  are  furnishing  us  with  fully  2  dozen  eggs  per  day;  it 
is  counting  up  in  dollars  pretty  well.  We  get  from  20  to  30  cents  per 
dozen.  I  let  a  lady  have  some  of  your  compound  as  her  chickens  had 
a  bad  case  of  roup.  Thanking  you  for  past  favors,  I  am  yours  very 
respectfully,  J.  M.  PROPST,  Breeder  of  Thoroughbred  Poland  China 
hogs. 


PUBLIC 

Now,  my  friends,  there  is  no  use  for  me  to  say  more.  These  testi- 
monials are  self  explanatory.  If  others  can  have  good  success  with  my 
Incubators,  Brooders,  Brooder  Attachments,  Book,  Compound  and  Elec- 
tric Alarm  so  can  you.  If  you  contemplate  buying  an  Incubator  and 
Brooder  let  me  fit  you  out.  If  you  already  have  an  Incubator,  my 
Book,  Compound  and  Alarm  would  be  wonderful  help  to  you.  Write  me 
for  particulars  and  you  will  greatly  oblige 

Your  friend, 
MRS.   D.  C.  JOHNSON,   MAXWELL.    IOWA. 


GENERAL  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA— BERKELEY 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

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2  0  1955 


LD  21-100m-l,'54(1887sl6)476 


